À La Carte
by Jonaleepuff
Summary: P3P: AU. Gekkoukan High: A culinary arts integrated high school. Cooking and love triangles prove to be a recipe for disaster.
1. Prepare

**À La Carte**

À la carte (pronounced /ælæˈkɑrt/) is a French language loan phrase meaning "according to the menu", and used in restaurant terminology as:  
* A reference to a menu of items priced and ordered separately, in contrast to a table d'hôte, at which a menu with limited or no choice is served at a fixed price.  
* To designate an option to choose, at no extra charge, a side dish to accompany a main course item.

**prepare (prĭ-pâr')**  
_to get (a meal) ready for eating, as by proper assembling, cooking, etc.  
_

_

* * *

_  
It started on a calm Spring day just like any other. The bell rang at 9AM and dozens of students hurried to their homeroom; the fear of tardiness overpowering the feeling of dread.

"Alright class, settle down," The teacher ordered, "Before we begin today's lesson, I want to introduce your new classmate."

A girl with chestnut brown hair stood in front of the class. Her crimson eyes skimmed around the crowded room hoping to see one friendly face. No one; not a single person she knew. She drew a deep breath and stood up tall. "I'm Hamuko Arisato. It's nice to meet you."

"Wow, such enthusiasm," The teacher chuckled slightly as she watched the new student bow slightly. Pushing her soft brown hair behind her right ear, she turned her attention back to the class. "Everyone, do your best to make Hamuko feel welcome."

"Yes Ms. Toriumi!" The class responded in perfect unison.

"Now then, please take the empty seat next to Yukari." She waited as Hamuko made her way across the class and sat in the only vacant seat in the room. The girl in the next desk had medium-length light brown hair and wore a light pink sweater over her school uniform. She remained silent, but nodded her head in acknowledgment to the new girl. "To review yesterday's lesson, who can tell me what _Julienne style_ is?"

Hours passed by in what seemed like no time at all and before Hamuko knew it, school was over. The second the bells rang, students fled from their homerooms to either their extra curricular activities or usual hangouts to meet with friends.

"Hey," Turning, Hamuko saw who the teacher called Yukari. She smiled faintly and leaned over Hamuko's desk to engage in a conversation. "Sorry I didn't get a chance to introduce myself earlier. I'm Yukari Takeba. You live on campus too, right? I heard from Ms. Toriumi that I'll be sharing a room with you."

"Oh, that's right." Hamuko replied, recalling the meeting she had earlier with her teacher before school started. She looked her in the eyes and returned her smile. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"S'up Yuka-tan?" A voice interrupted. "Making friends with the new kid?"

Yukari sighed and looked behind her. "Ugh, Stupei…can't you see I'm busy here?"

"Hey, hey, hey." He placed a hand on the bill of his baseball hat and huffed. "I just wanted to introduce myself to the new girl. I'm Junpei Iori, but you can call me stud!"

"Sheesh, can't you introduce yourself _without_ hitting on her?" Yukari sighed with frustration before turning back to Hamuko. "By the way, are you going to be alright finding your way to the room? I have practice to go to."

"If you want I can show you to your room!" Junpei chimed almost instantaneously.

Yukari quickly shot him a dark look, "You better not be thinking of something perverted."

Junpei pulled back a little, then shrugged his shoulders. "I resent that! I'm just trying to be a nice guy here."

"Sure, that would be great." Hamuko agreed.

With one final goodbye, Yukari was out the door leaving Hamuko in Junpei's care. The two navigated through the narrow halls which were flooded with students from different classes. "It's really crowded here, isn't it?" Hamuko asked, frowning a bit.

"I guess so. I've never really thought about it before. Try to stay close, I wouldn't want to lose you. Who knows what Yuka-tan would do to me." Junpei laughed.

Despite their initial thoughts, the human-traffic didn't last long and soon they found themselves in an almost deserted hallway. "So Gekkoukan High, huh? What made you want to study here?"

She looked at him with surprise. "Oh, um...actually I've been researching this school for awhile. For a high school it has an amazing reputation for it's culinary arts integration. I'm kind of hoping to open up my own place one day. How about you?"

"Honestly...I don't know why I'm here," he said levelly as he strolled down the hallway. "I'm not that great at cooking or anything...I guess I'm here cause I don't know what else to do."

"Oh..." She trailed off, wondering if the question was a bad idea.

Sensing the tension, he decided to lighten the mood. "But now that you're here, if you ever get lonely feel free to call me and we'll hang out! I know how tough it is being new around here."

Smiling gently, she nodded her head. "I'll be sure to remember that, thanks."

"Hey, Junpei."

Junpei instantly turned around to where the voice came from. Standing at the other side of the hallway were two people. His expression softened and Hamuko assumed they were friends of his. "Oh, Akihiko-san. Mitsuru-senpai. You two heading out?"

"Mitsuru's got Student Council duties and I've got my club activities." The silver-haired male shook his head. He peered over Junpei's shoulder then focused back on him. "Who's your new friend?"

"Oh sorry, this is Hamuko," Junpei introduced. "She just transferred here today."

Hamuko took a step forward and bowed her head slightly. "Hamuko Arisato. It's nice to meet you." Looking back up, her eyes met a steady gaze.

"I'm Akihiko Sanada and this is Mitsuru Kirijo." Akihiko said, motioning to his hallway companion. "So you just transferred here today? Are you liking it so far?"

"Yeah," Hamuko agreed. "Yukari and Junpei have been really helpful." She shifted her gaze towards Mitsuru, and found her simply staring at her- almost refusing to say anything.

Cutting into her daydreams, Akihiko added, "If you have any questions, feel free to ask me for help."

"Thanks, Sanada-san."

"No need to be so formal," he laughed. "Just call me Akihiko."

Her cheeks flushed a light rose color. "Thanks, Akihiko-san."

"Alright! We've got to get going." Junpei interrupted once again. He draped his arm around Hamuko's shoulders and drew her in close. "I have to show Hamuko here to her room. I'll see you around senpai!"

Akihiko gave a farewell wave before Junpei nudged Hamuko along. Moments later, they were completely alone in front of her room; number twenty-two. Upon arriving, Hamuko let out a sigh of relief.

"Thanks for showing me to my room Junpei," she started while pulling her key out of her pocket. "I don't know what I would've done without you." The look in her eyes was a distant one and Junpei wondered if she knew how transparent she looked.

"Hey," he said, trying to draw her attention. "Um, about Akihiko-senpai..."

Hamuko turned to him with one eyebrow raised. Her key was resting against the lock and her hand held it idly. "Akihiko-san? What about him?"

"Try not...to get too close to him, alright?" The tone in Junpei's voice was heavy with concern.

"What do you mean?" She asked, surprised. There didn't seem to be anything strange about Akihiko, otherwise she would've picked it up right away. She always had a very good sense of character.

Taking his gaze away, Junpei waved his hand as if to dismiss the conversation. "Ah, nothing. Anyways, I gotta go. I'll see ya later!"

Before she knew it, he was gone and she was completely alone.


	2. Sear

**sear (sîr)**  
_to brown the surface of pieces of meats and or fish by submitting them to intense initial heat_

_

* * *

_

Two months quickly passed since Hamuko transferred to Gekkoukan and it was obvious to everyone that she was interested in Akihiko since day one. Of course being the high school heart-throb, she knew she had a million to one shot to get him to notice her. Whenever Akihiko was available after school she always made it a top priority to hang out with him and for the most part it worked like a charm. They weren't dating, but she felt that they were close.

Class ended for the day and she left her homeroom right away. She hurried towards the usual spot, and felt instantly relieved when she saw the familiar red vest. "Akihiko-san!" she called as she made her way beside him. "Next week is your finals, right?"

Akihiko looked at her and smiled. "Yeah, just like yours."

"If you don't mind telling me, what do you have to do?" She asked while she fiddled with her bangs.

"We actually have it really easy for some reason," he stated. "Though I guess I shouldn't complain. Half of the class is making génoise cakes while the others are making chiffon cakes. We get to decorate it however we want, so there's a lot of freedom there."

Her face brightened. "Oh! I think I know the difference between them. Aren't génoise cakes made with egg yolks while chiffon cakes are made with the whites? You're so lucky! That sounds like so much fun!"

Akihiko chuckled and ruffled her hair a bit. "I heard that you're quite the champion. Number one in all of the second years, right?"

She blushed a deep red and lowered her eyes to the floor. "Th-that's not true."

"It's hard to believe it's already been two months since you transferred here. So what are you doing for your finals?" he asked, grinning.

"Ms. Toriumi assigned different dishes for everyone." she sighed. "I got stuck with Penne all'Arrabbiata...I've never made it before, so I went to the library to find the recipe."

"If I remember correctly, it's just a penne with tomatoes and red peppers."

"If you don't mind, could you teach me how to make it?"

"Sure. I think we made it in class last year, so I should know how. Come by my room anytime."

"You reside with Aragaki-senpai, right?"

"Yeah. It's room eighty-seven, east wing."

"Is today alright? I'd like to learn how to make it right away so I can practice."

"Of course."

"Thanks senpai!"

He smiled genuinely before lifting his head to check the large analog clock in the hallway. "Ah-I gotta go now. I can't afford to keep Mitsuru waiting." he murmured underneath his breath.

"Mitsuru-senpai?" she tensed a little before asking, "Is it true that you two are dating?"

Akihiko flinched at the question but managed to reply nonetheless. "No...we're just good friends." The tone in his voice was hushed and had this sense of uneasiness. "Alright. See you later."

In one swift movement, he brushed past her and continued walking.

After making her way back to her room, she opened the door slowly and stepped inside. She noticed Yukari sitting on the couch with her feet kicked up on the coffee table, reading a fashion magazine. "Oh, hey." She greeted.

Sending a greeting back, Hamuko kicked off her shoes and walked into the kitchen. Akihiko's reply was still heavy on her mind. "Do you think something's going on between Akihiko-san and Mitsuru-senpai?"

"Akihiko-senpai and Mitsuru-senpai? Hmm...It's really hard to say," Yukari answered almost immediately. She continued to flip through the pages of her magazine. "I heard some rumors about them last year though."

"Like what?"

"They used to date back in sophomore year. Something happened between them and they broke up." she said matter-of-factly. Sensing Hamuko's sudden tension, she stopped flipping. "That's just hearsay though. No one knows if any of it's true."

Hamuko bit her bottom lip, trying to stop the awful feeling at the pit of her stomach. "Oh..."

She took a piece of paper from her pocket, unfolded it and opened the fridge. After inspecting the contents carefully, she circled the missing ingredients. After she was finished, she went to her room to change clothes. Deciding on a simple blue sundress, she threw a white cardigan over and headed out the door. "I'm going to the store."

She returned on campus less than an hour later with two bags full of groceries. Her eyes wandered around the hall at all the different numbers. She counted out loud as she came closer to his room. As she came to room eighty-seven, she hesitated. Trying to calm her jittery nerves, she forced her mind to clear, taking deep breaths, then knocked three times. The door opened and she wasn't face to face with Akihiko, but his intimidating roommate instead. He had disheveled medium brown hair and wore a turtleneck and a pair of casual jeans.

"A-Aragaki-senpai." she stammered.

His dark eyes narrowed as if trying to think. "Do I know you?"

Gripping her shopping bags, Hamuko bowed her head slightly. "Sorry! I'm Hamuko Arisato. I transferred over the beginning of last month."

"I assume you're here for Aki." He asked, scanning her from top to bottom. "He mentioned someone would come by, but he isn't back yet. Probably still out with Mitsuru."

"Oh, I see." The awful feeling at the pit of her stomach intensified and was starting to twist into a knot. "Maybe I should come back later."

"He should be home in about a half-hour, so you can wait here if you like." He said, running a hand through his hair.

"Thank you."

Letting her into the room, he walked straight into the kitchen adjacent to the living room. "Tea?"

"Y-Yes please." She sputtered.

Unlike her and Yukari's room, theirs was rather dark due to the thick curtains. All the light in the room came from the lampshades strategically placed throughout the room. Her heart skipped a beat as she took her first step inside of their dorm. Just knowing that she was where Akihiko spent his time studying and relaxing were enough to take her breath away.

"By the way, it's Shinji."

"Shinji?" She asked as she carefully placed her sandals onto the floor.

"Shinjiro Aragaki." He repeated. She followed him to the kitchen and placed the grocery bags onto the counter. "So Akihiko-san, huh? You guys are pretty close I take it."

Hamuko started unpacking. "Somewhat. We've just been hanging out whenever he's not busy with his club."

"Or Mitsuru." She heard him mutter almost incoherently.

Before she had the chance to ask him to repeat himself, she heard the front door. Her breath caught in her lungs. "Shinji?" A voice called out.

It was Akihiko. Instantly, her heart began to beat so loudly she felt it reverberating in her eardrums. She tried to keep her mind on unpacking the groceries, but her hands froze on a box of pasta. From her peripheral vision, she saw him enter the kitchen doorway. "Oh, you're here already."

"I came a little early, but Shinji-senpai said I could wait here." She said with forced nonchalance.

"Shinji-senpai?" Akihiko looked towards the kitchen where Shinji stood pouring tea. He then turned to Hamuko who continued to rifle through her bags. "Uh, sorry to keep you waiting. I'll just go change first."

Shinji waited until she was finished unpacking, then handed her a hot cup of tea and leaned against the counter. "Penne all'Arrabbiata, huh? What do you know about it?"

Hamuko stared at him with surprise. "To be perfectly honest, today was the first time I've heard of it. How did you know I was making that? Did Akihiko-san tell you?"

He grinned a little and took a sip. "No. I could tell just by looking at your groceries. How about we get started while waiting for Aki then?" He didn't wait for a reply before he reached under the cupboard and took out two wooden cutting boards. "You cut the tomatoes and I'll slice the chili peppers and garlic."

"Okay." Hamuko nodded her head and followed his instructions.

"All'arrabbiata means _angry style_, so Penne all'Arrabbiata literally means _angry pasta_. It refers to the heat of the peppers used." He continued. "Overall it's really simple to make. The only thing you have to watch for is the pasta. Make sure it's al dente, otherwise the taste is wasted." Feeling Hamuko's stare on him, he stopped cutting and cleared his throat. "So I heard from Aki you're the best in your grade. That's pretty impressive."

"It's nothing really," she blushed. "I've actually heard that you're the best in the school, senpai. Your reputation precedes you."

"You're probably the only person that's ever said that." He said with a soft chuckle. For a moment she looked at Shinji and saw a small smile creep onto his face. Feeling a familiar warmth spread across her face, she decided it would be best to ignore it. However, it proved rather difficult when Shinji's incredible precision and accuracy kept catching her eye. In no time at all, he was finished.

"Do you always cut tomatoes that way?" He suddenly asked, turning his attention to her.

"What do you mean?"

"The way you're holding it. Here, do it like this." He said in a low voice. He walked to her and slowly put his arms around her. "If you do it this way, it's easier to cut and it saves you a lot more time."

His hands rested on hers as he showed her the way he did it. Hamuko's heart was pounding so loudly that it made a constant roar in her ears. Feeling his large frame behind her, she felt breathless, light-headed. For a moment, she feared she might actually faint.

"Am I interrupting?" Akihiko interjected. It had been apparent that he had been listening in-but for how long, they weren't sure. For the first time, the expression on Akihiko's face was unreadable.

"Tch...Don't be ridiculous." Shinji replied as he let her go. When she turned her head to look at him, his smile was long gone and instead his usual cold mask was placed. "I was just showing her the proper way to cut tomatoes."

"Mind if I take over?"

All too quickly, Shinji walked towards the exit of the kitchen and replied, "Go right ahead."

"Alright. Hmm, if I remember we're supposed to sauté the garlic and red peppers in olive oil for a few seconds. While I do that, you finish up cutting the tomatoes."

Everything became apparent at that moment. Akihiko had never put his arms around her. In fact, he treated her like he did anyone else. It had already been two months since she started pursuing him, yet they never got together outside of school. She should be happy that Akihiko was willing to teach her a new dish, but instead she felt sick to her stomach. These thoughts churned inside of her for the remainder of her stay. Throughout the cooking, the tasting and even the small-chat.

Two hours passed and Akihiko stood in the kitchen washing dishes. Hamuko sat on the living room sofa since he refused to let her help. "I think I'll be going now, Akihiko-san." She called out after she straightened her skirt and stood up.

"Hold up, I'll walk you back to your room." He called out.

"It's no problem. I'll be fine on my own." She slowly walked to the doorway and put her shoes on. "Yukari should be back from her club by now."

"I'll walk you." When she turned to where the voice came from, she saw Shinji standing in the hallway. Her heart began beating in her chest.

"It's alright, Shinji." Akihiko replied.

Shinji turned towards the kitchen and shoved a hand in his pocket. "I'd like to get to know the prodigy better."

"Thanks." Hamuko felt Akihiko's jaw tighten in his words.

"Alright, let's go." Shinji commanded after putting on his shoes. They walked slowly and Hamuko could feel the awkward atmosphere. She had no intention of bringing up the situation earlier, but it was hard to keep it from resurfacing in her mind.

Nearly at her room, he finally decided to break the silence. "Why exactly are you so close with Aki?"

"What do you mean why?"

"Is it so he can tutor you in cooking?"

She stopped short. "What?"

"You heard me. Penne all'Arrabbiata? It's not exactly rocket science."

The blow was effective. "I don't need a tutor to help me improve. I _know_ how to cook." She said, clenching her fists.

Shinji sensed the sting in her words, but shrugged off her attack. "Is that so?" He leaned against her door, blocking her path. "You're wasting your time. Forget about him."

Hamuko narrowed her eyes. "Why is everyone telling me that?"

The grimness in his features took on a strong cynical edge. "If everyone is telling you that, then maybe it's something you should listen to."

Hamuko glared at him. "I don't have to listen to anyone."

He stood up and stepped aside. "Suit yourself. You'll find out soon enough."

"_You'll_ find out soon enough." She retorted. She quickly unlocked the door and stepped inside, slamming it behind her.

"You have no idea what you're getting yourself into."

* * *

**Author's Notes:** This chapter turned out to be a lot longer than originally planned, but I couldn't find a way to cut it down. Personally, I like shorter chapters.  
Thank you to my wonderful reviewers: caramelmilktea, Ombre Rose, ma'amethystus, Shylien7765 and Meow Factory.  
Your reviews have really inspired me to work extra hard!


	3. Glaze

**glaze (gleɪz)  
**_to cover (foods) with a shiny coating by applying beaten egg, sugar, etc._

**

* * *

**

It was a restless night followed by a tired Friday. Hamuko stayed in a daze for the remainder of the day; Shinji's accusation haunting her like the black plague. As infuriated as she was with him for questioning her intentions, she was even more upset at herself for feeling something when he put his arms around her.

At the end of the day she declined Junpei's invitation to hang out and decided it would be best if she just went back to her room. It was ridiculous how his words still effected her. Why should she care what he thought of her? She kept her eyes lowered to the floor and hurried back to her room. Getting her key out of her jacket pocket, she looked up and saw Akihiko standing in front of her door.

"Akihiko-san? What are you doing here?" She asked, walking up to him.

Instantly his hand touched the back of his head. Whether it was intentional or out pure habit was unbeknownst to her. "I felt bad I didn't get to walk you back yesterday, so I was wondering if you wanted to do something today." He trailed off, looking to the side. She could have sworn she saw a faint blush on his cheeks.

Smiling wide, she felt her chest lighten. "Sure! Is it alright if I put my bag away first?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Um, you can come in if you'd like." Her heart pounded as she fiddled with her key. She walked inside cautiously, well aware of Akihiko's stare behind her. "I'll leave a note for Yukari and we'll be on our way."

"This place is so different." He laughed as she walked into the kitchen. The interior was noticeably girlier than even an average female room and the color pink was predominant. "Exactly what you'd expect from a girl's room."

"It doesn't help that Yukari is my roommate. She loves anything and everything pink." Hamuko laughed. Finishing her note, she returned to the living room and asked, "What did you have planned for the day?"

"I was thinking we could see a movie." He replied as he continued studying the room intently. "That is, if you're up for it."

"Of course I am." She replied. As down as she was feeling earlier, there was no way she was going to turn down an invitation from Akihiko. She would have to be out of her mind for that to happen.

Port Island Station was bustling and dozens of teenagers flocked the movie theater. "I'm glad we came here when we did; we managed to beat the rush." Akihiko said proudly. "Who knew it would be so busy around this time?"

"Yeah! This is going to be great! I haven't seen a movie in forever!" Hamuko said cheerfully.

Akihiko sent her a smile before she turned to stare at the various movie titles intensely. "What movie did you want to see?"

"I had my sight set on this one," He replied, pointing to an obviously martial-arts themed movie. "I hope you don't mind."

She shook her head. "Not at all. It looks interesting." She should have known it would be an action movie. After all, she knew full well that he was part of the boxing team at Gekkoukan High. She pushed the small feeling of disappointment back and forced herself to be enthusiastic. It wasn't exactly everyday that Akihiko invited her to a movie. Beggars can't be choosers, she thought. It took her a moment to realize that she had compared herself to a beggar.

Initially, Hamuko thought she would have to pay her own way, but when they reached the front of the line for the ticket box Akihiko took it upon himself to purchase hers as well. Another reason why she liked him, she silently mused. After finding a seat and getting comfortable, he stood up from beside her. "Save my seat. I'll go buy us some popcorn."

"Ok!" This date was even better than she dreamed it would be!

Now alone, Akihiko back-tracked to the nearest concessional stand. The lineup was rather short since most people bought their snacks before entering the theater. "One large popcorn and large drink." He didn't have to wait long before he got his order.

"The straws are to your right."

"Thanks."

He carefully made his way back to the theater. His eyes scanned the now-dark room, looking for Hamuko's face. When he saw an arm waving at him, he knew it was her. He walked up the stairs and took a seat beside her. "Sorry I took so long." He said apologetically.

She leaned forward and took the popcorn bag he held towards her. "It's alright. It's still the previews."

"Oh, that's good," He said as he sat beside her and put the drink between them.

She looked at the drink and noticed there was only one straw. Her heart began to hammer in a strange kind of way. Was it some sort of sign? Was she, in fact, right in calling this as a date?

After the movie ended, they exited the theater together. "His hands were on fire...And he must have jumped eight feet in the air!" Akihiko nearly shouted as his hands struck a pose. "It looked like he was suspended from the ceiling. I guess that's why they call it _wire-fu_, huh?...They must have been on some kind of amazing training program...But they never show those parts! Arrgh! Tch...I gotta train even harder...! I'm gonna do squats all the way back to the monorail!"

Hamuko laughed. The second the movie started, she knew he would end up getting this excited about it. "Where are we going now?"

He slowed down to match her pace then his hand caught hers before she could react. Warm currents shot up her arm and flowed onto her face. "It's a surprise."

The surprise destination turned out to be Paulownia Mall. Upon arriving, Hamuko ran towards the crane game at Game Panic. "Aww, look Akihiko-san, they're so cute!" She said while pointing her finger at the stuffed toys inside of the machine.

"Watch, I'll win you one of those!" He laughed. Reaching inside his pocket, he pulled out the change necessary and inserted it into the slot. Slowly and skillfully, he maneuvered the crane game joystick. The claw grabbed a hold of the hand of a Jack Frost doll.

She stood beside him and watched closely as it hit the side of the plastic barricade and fell on the heap. "You were so close! It's alright, Akihiko-san."

He shoved his hand in his pocket to collect more change. "No! I promised I'd win you one! I can do this!"

She caught a glimpse of competitiveness in his eyes. "Who would've thought you were so stubborn?" She said jokingly.

He scoffed at her comment. "I prefer dedicated."

After Akihiko managed to fail at winning her a prize over ten times, they decided they should just head to the Sweet Shop. Since she transferred to Port Island, she never had the time to make the trip even though it was at the very top of her to do list. The shop was exactly as she dreamed it would be. The soft yellow lighting brought out the earthy tones of the shop. Clothed tables, wooden chairs- that freshly baked aroma. The selection, the ambiance. Everything was absolutely perfect.

She brought her face so closely to the display glass, that she was practically pressed against it. "Everything looks so good!"

Akihiko stood behind her looking bewildered at his surroundings. "Here, let's sit down first."

Finding a seat next to the store's window, they sat in front of each other making small chat. Akihiko raved on and on about the movie, while Hamuko was too busy focusing on the sweet shop. Not long after, a waitress came up to the table and handed them a menu each. "What would you like to drink?" She asked politely.

"Tea, please." Hamuko answered without missing a beat.

Akihiko, on the other hand, skimmed the menu a few more times. "Iced tea."

Waiting until the waitress left, Hamuko looked at Akihiko strangely. "Iced tea? Does that really taste good with sweets?"

He withdrew. "Ah, to be honest I don't like sweets too much."

"Why did you bring me here then?" She asked, clearly confused.

He shrugged his shoulders and focused on his menu. "I heard that girls like places like this."

The waitress quickly returned with their drinks. "Are you ready to order?"

Hamuko set her menu down. "I'll have the Tia Maria Torte."

"And for you, sir?"

"I'll have the strawberry Pavlova."

"Excellent. I'll bring those right away."

Akihiko waited until the waitress was out of earshot before turning to Hamuko. "Isn't that just cookies covered in whipped cream?"

"It looks really good!" She answered simply. "How about the Pavlova? Aren't you worried that's going to be too sweet?"

"Not really. It has fruit in it so I should be alright." He replied, taking a sip of his iced tea.

She picked up a packet of sugar, ripped it open and poured it into her cup. She picked up her spoon and began stirring slowly. "Hmm, I guess you're right."

In no time, they received their order. Hamuko smiled at the woman and nodded her head. They waited until she left.

"It still looks strange." He murmured, eying her dish.

Hamuko exhaled. "Oh come on, try some." She said, pushing the plate towards her companion.

"Alright, alright," He raised his fork, took a piece and shoved it in his mouth. She watched as he chewed slowly, letting the taste settle. His eyes showed surprise. "Wow, it's actually good! I thought it would be crunchy, but it's actually soft. I wonder why that is."

"See, I told you!" She took a forkful of his Pavlova and ate it. The outside had a crisp, crunchy shell while the inside was soft. "There's something in here that tastes like lemon meringue. The texture is like marshmallows."

"Is it sweet?" He worried, giving her plate back.

She reciprocated, then took a bite of her torte. "Hmm, not sugar-sweet, but more like fruit-sweet."

He sighed with relief.

She slowly chewed her food while watching him nervously. Swallowing her food felt harder than usual. Now was the time. "Akihiko-san, I have something important to say."

His eyes reflected curiosity and he put down his fork, leaning in with interest. She felt the anxiousness inside of her begin to snowball. "I kinda have something important to ask you too."

She saw the uneasiness in his eyes. "Go ahead."

"Would you mind...calling me Aki?" He asked, sheepishly. "It's a nickname. I've always wanted to hear you say it."

Her heart started racing a mile a minute. Several seconds passed before she spoke. "A-Aki." She repeated, liking the sound.

"It sounds even better than I thought it would," He smiled, feeling a heaviness leave his shoulders. "Oh yeah, what were you going to ask me?"

"Um, Aki...Lately I've been thinking...Well, actually I've always known," She paused when she felt his hand touch her face. Her eyes stared right into his. She felt her thoughts come out as a whisper. "What are you doing?"

"You have some whipped cream," his fingers rested on her lips and he brought his face closer to hers. "right here...on your lips."

Unable to speak, she merely stared up at him. His eyes were dark and aware, his cheeks flushed with desire. Her eyelids fluttered close when she felt his hot breath against her lips.

A ringing sounded in the background, shattering the mood. She felt his breath disappear, then opened her eyes. He was reaching for his pocket where the noise was coming from.

"Sorry," He murmured, looking down at his cell phone. "I have to take this."

"Y-Yeah." She watched as he flipped the phone open and looked to the side.

"What's up? Huh? Now? I'm kind of out right now...No, I understand. Alright, I'm coming."

Finishing his conversation, he shoved his phone back into his pocket and turned to Hamuko. "Something's come up. I gotta get going." He reached over and grabbed his jacket he placed on the close by coat rack. "If it's okay can we get together this Sunday? I'll make it up to you, I promise."

She held her head up high and forced herself to meet his gaze. "It's okay. I understand. Sunday is fine."

"Let's meet at Chagall Café at noon. We'll spend the whole day together!"

She watched heartbroken while he turned and left the store. For the first time in her life, she felt foolish. She wanted nothing more than for him to be with her. And she did want that, want it with a sudden desperation that left her feeling devastated.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Thank you to everyone who reviewed!  
I would like to know my readers thoughts!  
- Who should Hamuko end up with?  
- Should I add in a love scene later on?  
- Do you like longer chapters?


	4. Beat

**beat (biːt)  
**_to agitate a mixture with the goal of making it smooth and introducing as much air as possible into it_

* * *

Chagall Café. Despite them agreeing to meet at twelve o'clock, Hamuko came early just in case Akihiko decided to do the same. Too eager? Possibly. After yesterday's episode, what was the harm in hoping? It was obvious to herself that he clearly felt something for her as well—or so she thought. She raised her head to look at the clock on the wall. It was now a quarter to two.

"Would you like more tea?" She looked up, noticing the waiter standing close to her. His arms were carefully placed at his sides, his body language clearly said he was aware of her situation.

She looked down at her table to find her cup completely empty. How many cups did she drink? One, three, six? Her sad emotional state made lose count. She stared at her hazy reflection, pondering what became of her. Her eyes watched her back and she desperately tried to find an answer. There was none. She did know one thing: she was not going to let him stand her up and get away with it. "No, thank you."

Once he left, she sunk further into the green deep-arm chair. She could have wept with frustration. She sat there, feeling alone, abandoned and foolish—oh, so incredibly foolish. Fighting back tears of anger, she decided to wait ten more minutes before leaving. She sighed and took out her cell phone out of her handbag. No missed calls, no voice mails, not even a text message. Without thinking, she began scrolling through her received messages. Half of the text messages were from Akihiko while the rest were from Junpei and Yukari. The happy memories seemed so long ago. Six more minutes.

Snapping out of her trance, she stopped scrolling and placed her cell phone on the table. She stared at it as if willing it to ring or beep. Anything would do. Three more minutes.

She sat there, scanning the café. Being a Sunday afternoon, it wasn't too busy. A few couples occupied some tables. She watched as they exchanged loving looks, talking about things couples do; whatever that could be. It dawned on her they sure as hell weren't one. If they were, he would be sitting with her and not standing her up. Time to go.

Storming back to Gekkoukan High, she imagined all of the things she would say to him. However, each scenario ended with her ultimately forgiving him. Before she realized it, she was already in front of his room. Her hand reached out to the door, but she stopped. Despite all of the nasty things she planned on saying, she still wasn't ready to face him this soon. She ran a hand through her once neatly styled hair, straightened her plaid skirt, then knocked.

Her stomach churned when the door opened to Shinji's stare. She could have sworn her heart stopped beating. He wore an olive green v-neck shirt and dark-washed denim jeans and seemed to be annoyed at the disturbance. She noticed a book in his left hand and wondered if she came at a bad time. The title was illegible from the way he pointed it away from her, almost as if he did it intentionally. "Can I help you?"

Remain calm, she told herself. Be brave. She forced herself to look in the void that was his eyes. "Is Aki here?" The words came out of her mouth before she could stop them.

Shinji crossed his arms and leaned against the wooden door frame, resembling some sort of barrier, she imagined. "No. He got a call this morning and left."

She bit her bottom lip. Having to speak to Shinji, the one who warned her about him of all people was humiliating. No, it was beyond humiliating; it was torture. "Oh, I see...Did he mention me?" She didn't plan on asking, and knew full well she shouldn't. As soon as the words left her, she wished there was some way to take them back.

He studied her silently, seeing the fragility in her face. Knowing full well she could break any second. "Not really. Did you want him to?"

Her mouth opened to form some sort of reply, but nothing came out.

Shinji decided to speak for her. "You have that line between your brows again."

"What?"

"It's the same line you had as the last time we spoke." He explained, standing up tall. "Smooth it out and I'll make you a late lunch before you go."

Her brows furrowed. The last thing she needed was his pity. "Don't patronize me. I'm not in the mood." She clenched her teeth, then turned around and left before he could start rubbing salt in her wound.

Focused on getting away, she quickly made it to her room. She entered and threw her bag on the sofa across the living room. Cursing under her breath, she felt the tears begin to dwell. The great day she envisioned had gone to hell. She threw herself on an armchair and looked up at the ceiling. The stinging behind her eyes finally won and she realized she had no more strength to blink them back. She closed her eyes, feeling the hot tears stream down her face. She stayed like that for a few minutes, letting her emotions get the best of her.

A soft knocking came from the door. Wiping the tears that escaped her, she got up and opened the front door thinking it was Yukari. There stood the last person she wanted to see. He stood there with a jacket hanging over his arm. "Let's go." Shinji ordered calmly.

She stared at him quizzically.

"I can tell you didn't eat lunch. If you won't let me cook you something, then we're going out to eat. Get your bag."

Not wanting to argue anymore—not wanting to do anything anymore, she walked to the sofa and retrieved her abandoned handbag. He watched as she slipped on a pair of sandals and followed him out the door.

The silence between them was heavy until they arrived at their destination, Wakatsu. After they sat down to order, Shinji took it upon himself to order them two Prodigy Platters. When it arrived, he watched as she poked the salmon with her fork, clearly still upset. He cleared his throat. "See, the salmon is in the Prodigy Platter because it's rich in Omega-3. It's proved to improve memory and mood, reduce the risk of dementia and most importantly, reduce depression and anxiety. Most people don't actually believe in the platter, but if they do their research right they'll find it does work."

"If that's the case, I should order everything they have." She said solemnly.

"Hear me out," He said with distaste. He held a fork out to his plate and pointed to different sides. "The spinach is high in iron. Most people are deficient in iron, which is linked to restless leg syndrome, fatigue, poor mood and foggy thinking. Brown rice is a low-glycemic complex carbohydrate that is excellent for people sensitive to gluten who still want to maintain cardiovascular health. The better your circulation, the sharper your brain."

"Really?"

Something about having her attention in a good way made him smile. "Yeah. Most people don't believe this, but coffee is good for your brain. It contains fiber which helps the cardiovascular system. The trick is not to have more than a few cups. A healthy amount would be two to four cups daily."

Shinji saw a smile crawl across her face. "You're so smart, Shinji-senpai."

"N-Not really," He said, then took a forkful of salmon. "It's common knowledge. Now hurry up and eat before your food gets cold."

He watched her take a small bite, then look up at him. Her smile widened. "I feel smarter already!" She joked.

A laugh escaped him. "Eat, eat."

Hamuko waited for him to take a bite of his salmon. "You should do that more."

"Do what more?" He asked, looking up at her.

"Laugh," She replied. "I wonder if there's a food that will help increase laughter."

Shinji scoffed. "I'm pretty sure there's nothing like that."

"Maybe there will be one day." She said, tilting her head in thought.

They spent the rest of their stay at Wakatsu laughing, talking about different foods and the most efficient way to prepare them. Before she could realize it, she had completely forgotten about her misery. After Shinji paid for their meal, they walked out onto the second floor of the Iwatodai Strip Mall. She followed Shinji out the door and stood with him as they decided where to go next.

"How about the Sweet Shop?" He asked. "I heard they just added a new item to the menu. Strawberry Pavlova."

She looked down to the ground, brushing away some imaginary hair from her eyes. "I'd rather not go there."

"Why not?"

"I went there with Akihiko-san the other day," She explained, refusing to use his nickname. She silently doubted she could ever use it again.

Shinji shoved a hand into his pocket and made a _tch_ noise. "Don't let one bad experience ruin everything for you. Otherwise you'll miss out on a lot of things in life."

"You're right." She replied, hanging her head low.

"Of course I'm right," Shinji said, nodding his head. He walked towards the front door and went inside first. They sat across from each other, each staring straight ahead, Hamuko staring at the windows behind Shinji's head, Shinji at the flower painting over Hamuko's right shoulder. "So what did you order last time you were here?" He asked, trying to get the mood to lighten. Progress with her was like taking one step forward and two steps back.

She diverted her attention to the shop, trying not to look as uncomfortable as she felt. "The Tia Maria Torte."

He looked at her in surprise. "Did you like it?"

She turned back to him and tilted her head in thought. "It really surprised me. I thought it would be crunchy, but it was chewy instead. It actually didn't taste like cookies at all."

"It's because the cookies are soaked in milk, then Tia Maria liquor." He watched as her eyes shimmered with fascination, urging him to continue. "They just layer the cookies over and over, placing whipped cream in between. The torte needs at least twenty-four hours to set, so they make it the day before."

"That makes a lot of sense," She suddenly said enthusiastically.

He smiled and leaned back in his chair. "And what did he order?" He didn't have to say a name; they both knew who he was referring to.

"Strawberry Pavlova." The words tumbled out of her.

"How predictable," Shinji sighed in disappointment. "What are you in the mood for today?"

"Something with chocolate."

Nodding his head to show he understood, he motioned the waitress over. "Two coffees and two slices of the Tiramisu."

She waited anxiously for the waitress to bring the cake. It had to be something special since Shinji ordered it. When their orders arrived, she inspected it carefully. It had several layers of alternating brown biscuits and a creme custard. "So what's special about this?" She asked, curiously.

He held his fork out to the cake. "There are layers to this dessert: the biscuit layer and the Mascarpone layer which is mixed with Zabaglione. The biscuit layer is ladyfingers soaked in espresso mixed with marsala wine. For the Mascarpone cheese layer, a Zabaglione custard is first prepared: egg yolks are mixed with sugar and liquor and mixed over simmering water until thickened and light in color. Mascarpone cheese is then beaten into the custard, and whipped cream is often added to lighten the mixture. This mixture is spread over the coffee-soaked biscuits, often topped with a dusting of cocoa powder, and more layers are added."

She laughed lightheartedly. "I have no idea what most of that means."

"And most importantly," He said after a moment's rest. "Tiramisu is _pick me up_ in Italian."

Her smile broadened. He never ceased to amaze her with his in-depth knowledge of cuisine. "How is it possible you know so much about cooking?"

"It's something I enjoy. When it's something you like, you can't help but pursue it." He answered simply.

Hamuko felt her guard slipping. Several times she almost found herself believing she was on a date with a man who honestly wanted to be with her. During their dessert, she made a quip that brought a genuine smile to his face she'd never seen and her heart pounded erratically for a moment.

Losing track of time, they spent the next few hours at the Sweet Shop. They had no idea how late it was until a waiter had to approach them and explain they were closing for the night. When they stepped outside, they noticed it was dark out and raining quite heavily. For a moment there was only the sound of rain drumming on the ground and splashing into puddles. "Maybe we can make a run for it."

Shinji looked at her and drew a sharp breath. "Don't be stupid," He shrugged off his jacket and held it above them as a makeshift umbrella. "Here."

Without saying anything, she walked towards him and stood underneath. "Thanks, Shinji-senpai."

"You can call me Shinji," He said quietly. "That is, if you want to..."

"Thanks, Shinji." Hamuko forgot the rain, though it continued to fall against her face. She forgot the cold. The warmth spread from inside, where her blood flowed fast. Something about those words made her tingle. What difference did it make, really? She called Akihiko by his first name before; it was hardly any different from calling Shinji by his.

The two nearly spoke as they walked back to the monorail, and neither said anything on the way back to Gekkoukan. They slowly approached room twenty-two. Shinji was the first to speak. "Here you are."

She stopped walking and looked up at him. The look on her face said enough.

"Want to go back to my place for coffee?"

No words were needed.

Her breath caught in her lungs as he opened the door. The lights were off. Akihiko wasn't home. They both knew that was what she intended on finding out.

Shinji flicked on the lights and walked into the kitchen. "Lots of creme, lots of sugar?"

She placed her bag at the door then sat down on the sofa. "How did you know?"

"I noticed earlier. You really like sweet things, don't you?"

"I guess so." He returned carrying a folded pile of laundry. "What's this?"

"Put this on," He instructed. "I'll go throw our clothes in the dryer."

She did as he instructed and used their bathroom to change. When she came out, she noticed he had already changed his clothes into a simple t-shirt and sweatpants similar to what she wore. Something about merely handing him her clothes felt oddly intimate. It might have been her imagination running wild again.

Hours flew by and they sat together on the sofa, surrounded by empty coffee cups and old cooking magazines Shinji collected over the years. They were both tired and at a loss for what to say. Shinji stared at her for a moment, noticing her slowly falling asleep. He got up from beside her to retrieve their dried clothes. "He promised we'd spend the whole day together," She mumbled, the tiredness sweeping through her. "Am I an idiot?"

He watched for what seemed like minutes, but in reality was probably no more than a few seconds. Her head tilted forward and he knew she was drifting asleep. He ran his fingers through his dark hair then sank down into the soft cushions of the sofa beside her. "No," He said softly, tilting her head so she leaned against his broad shoulder. He carefully reached down, his fingers hovered over hers. He wanted to hold her, even for a moment. He wanted to touch her just to make sure this was real. Something inside stopped him. He placed his hand on his knee instead and closed his eyes, savoring the moment. It was getting late, but he didn't want this to end. It pained him to admit it. "But I know someone who is."

Quietly, he heard the door swing open. His eyes watched as Akihiko stepped into the room, soaked from top to bottom. Shinji noticed like himself, Akihiko wasn't carrying an umbrella. Unlike him, however, he wasn't carrying a jacket either. Those two facts made it clear to Shinji that Akihiko hadn't planned on staying out late. Those two facts, however, didn't change what Akihiko had done. Or in his case, hadn't done. Animosity filled the air as their eyes locked. Deciding to spare no words, he kept quiet as Akihiko turned and stalked his way into his room, closing the door.

Shinji sat still for a few more moments before letting out a sigh. He worked up the courage to place his hand on hers and shook her lightly. "Hey...wake up."

Groggily, Hamuko wiped her eyes and sat up. "What time is it?"

"Nearly midnight," He replied curtly before standing up to get her clothes. "Come on, I'll walk you back."

She nodded in her head in reply and collected her things. They left the room without another word.

During the walk back, they chatted about the events from earlier in the day. "I guess he didn't come back, huh?" She suddenly asked, noticing they were drawing close to her room.

"No," he answered flatly. "I guess not."

When they reached her room, she took her key and opened the door. "I thought about as much."

"Hey," He spoke quickly, stopping from entering. "If he doesn't show up, I'll make time for you. So next time...don't keep waiting."

"Thanks for the pick me up, Shinji." She sent him a small, but significant smile and he watched with mixed emotions as she walked in and closed the door.

Minutes later, he was back at his place. He walked to the living room and began cleaning up their mess of magazines and coffee stains. From the corner of his eye, he saw Akihiko standing in the hallway. "Did she wait long?" He asked. Shinji couldn't tell if it was out of concern or curiosity, and it bothered him immensely.

He continued stacking the magazines neatly. "Breaking promises now, huh? Is that what you've sunk to?" He asked, deflecting the question.

"Answer my question." Akihiko ordered.

"You'd go that far for Mitsuru as to break other promises you've made?" Shinji asked, placing his collection where it belonged.

Akihiko grit his teeth and stepped forward. His eyes warned Shinji he was getting into dangerous territory. "You don't understand."

Shinji stood up and faced him. The look on his face dared him to start something. "No Aki, _you_ don't understand. Mitsuru…What exactly does she mean to you?"

Akihiko hesitated, then made himself say it. "She's a friend."

"Keep deluding yourself," Shinji said, his voice rough, his mouth compressed. "I won't let Hamuko wait for you."

Shinji walked back to his room and shut the door, leaving the half empty coffee cups on the table. His eyes landed on a book on his night table stand that read: _I Know How To Cook_. When he saw it at the bookstore, he thought it was some kind of joke. Almost like a sign from a higher power. He bought it just for the laughs, but it ended up having some insightful techniques for home cooking. He had a few more pages to go and thought today would be the day he finished it; a new personal record. He decided he would finish it tomorrow, settled into bed, drew the covers over and turned off the light.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Sorry it took so long for this chapter, I had to do a _lot_ of research for this.  
Thank you to everyone who took the time to review, you guys are my inspiration!  
It looks like it was a tie between who Hamuko should end up with, so it looks like I'll have to see where the story goes.  
Despite how I portray him, I am a _huge_ Akihiko fan. (Bet you never would have guessed!)


	5. Simmer

**simmer (sɪmə)**  
_to maintain the temperature of a liquid just below boiling_

_

* * *

_

The students of class 2-F gathered around, waiting to begin their first semester finals. A nervous buzz filled the air and students whispered upon themselves, waiting for their teacher to begin the exam. Hamuko had her hands on her hips, feeling extremely confident. Yukari and Junpei felt otherwise.

The woman at the front of the room pushed a stray wave of hair away from her forehead. After clearing her throat she declared, "You will have one hour to complete your assigned dish. Once time is up, the buzzer will go off and you will stop what you are doing."

"Here we go," Junpei grinned, rolling up his sleeve. "This is the dark hour!"

Yukari rolled her eyes, obviously not in the mood for his shenanigans. "What are you talking about? The dark hour? Isn't that some kind of movie?"

Junpei frowned at her aggravation. "What? No! The dark hour. The exam. It's an hour. It's an exam. It's the dark hour!"

Hamuko couldn't help but laugh at their antics. "Ready or not, here we come!"

* * *

The first semester final was over and Hamuko skipped back to her dorm, feeling amazing. Junpei and Yukari went to celebrate with a few other classmates, but she already made plans. Finally back, she sat onto her bed and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. She flipped it open, scrolled through her contacts and pressed the dial button. The phone rang twice before someone picked up at the other end.

"Hello?"

"Hi Shinji, it's me."

"Hey," came the simple reply. Something inside her chest felt weird. The same weird feeling she experienced whenever she was with Akihiko. While they've talked a handful of times, it was the first time they spoke on the phone. It was strange how different he sounded. Not his voice in particular, but talking on a cell phone almost made it feel like he was whispering directly into her ear. The thought sent small shivers down her spine.

"I just wanted to thank you for the help with the penne last week," she explained, not bothering to hide her excitement. "I made sure the noodles were al dente. Oh, and because of the way you showed me how to cut tomatoes, I had a lot of free time at the end. Though I didn't really need it."

She heard a small chuckle at the other side, and it made her wonder if she was bragging too much. "So, how did you do?" he asked, dismissing the negative thoughts flowing through her mind.

"I did really well!" she chirped.

"That's good to hear. How about we go out to celebrate tonight?"

Hamuko curled the end of her ponytail around her index finger. "Actually...Akihiko already asked me out tonight."

"Oh," he said slowly, trying to mask the disappointment in his voice without much success. "How about right now, then?"

"Right now? Sure."

"I'll be there in ten."

Smiling for reasons unbeknownst to her, she cheerfully agreed and hung up the phone. She fell backwards onto her bed, staring at the ceiling for a few seconds before getting ready.

* * *

Shinji watched as Hamuko looked around Hakagure. Two bowls were placed in front of them, but she chose to spend her time studying the place. _It needs to cool down_, she said. Despite her claim it was clear to him, as well as the other customers, that it was her first time there and she couldn't get past the interior. Something about her face expression made him smile. She resembled a kid at a candy shop, in awe at her surroundings. "Did he apologize when he called you?"

"No, but he said he wanted to talk when we get together." she replied, swinging around on her bar stool. She didn't turn to him and instead chose to focus on the small television in the corner. The interior of the restaurant was rather dark, but it had a cozy feel to it.

He picked up some noodles, then put it back in his bowl. It was too hot. "I see."

Catching his movements from her peripheral vision, she stopped swinging and finally sat still. "Hey, Shinji. Do you know why he didn't show up?"

He didn't need to think. He was done covering for him. "He was with Mitsuru." he said, his jaw flexed.

"Is there something going on between them?" she asked. He could tell she was more anxious than curious by the way she fiddled with her chopsticks. This time her eyes stayed glued on his.

Something about her stare made him uncomfortable. He didn't like staring people straight in the eyes. He was afraid she could see straight into his soul. Especially during those kinds of moments. "They used to date back then. Now, I'm not too sure."

He saw her bite her bottom lip as she gave her noodles a long stir. "Oh...So why are we here?"

He thought for a moment, wondering why she would ask him that suddenly. He asked her earlier if she wanted to celebrate and well, that's what they were doing. Until he brought up the giant elephant in the room. Then he remembered the other reason. "You're supposed to eat noodles on birthdays."

"Birthdays? It's not my," She looked at him with widened eyes. "Oh my God, I had no idea. I didn't get you anything."

"It's alright," he told her. "You being here is my present."

As flattered as she was by that, it didn't change the way she felt. "But still—!"

"But nothing, just eat your noodles." She nodded and complied. Just like a child, he silently laughed. He studied her for a moment in silence. "Did you do something different?"

"What do you mean?"

"You look different somehow," he told her, and then, "You're wearing lip gloss, right?"

She nodded her head again, obviously embarrassed.

"Stupid," he sighed. He reached to his right and picked up his napkin. "Why did you put that on if you knew we were going out to eat?"

"I thought it looked good," she mumbled, blushing deeply.

"It does. Strawberry right?"

"Y-Yeah, how did you know?" she said. Hopefully he didn't notice she was stammering now.

"I can smell it from here," he said quietly. He brought the napkin to her lips. "You have to take it off if you want to taste the noodles."

She pulled back a little. "I can do that myself!"

He smirked. "I'll do it. I'm already here." He ignored her eyes on him and focused on wiping her mouth.

"It's not that! It's just that I have a scar right under my lip from when I fell when I was little and, and its ugly. I don't really want people looking at it." She was babbling now, she could tell.

He examined her, trying to find that scar she spoke of. "I don't see anything here."

"Good!" she exclaimed, pulling far away from him and stared at her noodles. They were getting soggy. "So...why are you supposed to eat noodles on birthdays?"

"To live a long life," came the simple reply. "The Chinese believe in that superstition. Ever since I heard of that, I couldn't get it out of my mind. Every year I come here to eat some."

"Does Akihiko ever come here with you?" she asked, feeling sorry for the once scary senior. As scary as he may have been, eating alone on a birthday was just too sad.

He thought for a moment. "Sometimes."

They continued eating in comfortable silence.

* * *

"How about somewhere fancy?" Akihiko asked, running his hand through his short, silver hair. Hamuko responded by fidgeting with her skirt. "How's Wakatsu?"

She forced a half-smile. "Sure."

In less than twenty minutes they sat across from each other with Prodigy Platters in front of them. She couldn't help but smile, recalling all the information Shinji taught her. It came back to her with no warning at all.

"What's so funny?" Akihiko asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Oh, nothing," she giggled. "It's just something I remembered."

He gave her a genuine smile; the one she missed. "It sounds interesting. Come on, share."

Before her brain could register what was happening, she held a fork out to her food, thinking of what Shinji told her. "The salmon here is rich in Omega-3. It improves memory and mood, reduces the risk of dementia, depression and anxiety. The spinach is high in iron. Not enough iron causes restless leg syndrome, fatigue, poor mood and foggy thinking. Brown rice is good for people sensitive to gluten. It helps maintain cardiovascular health."

Akihiko looked at her with astonishment. He stopped mid-bite and had to finish chewing before replying. "Wow! Where did you learn that?"

This was the awkward part, she thought. "Shinji told me that."

His posture stiffened instantaneously. "Shinji? When did you two come here?"

She held her fork idly in her right hand, her eyes never leaving his. "Actually...it was when you didn't come to Chagall. He came by and took me out." A lump formed in Akihiko's throat. She watched him cautiously, wondering what he would say. Would he simply admit where he had been, or would he make up some sort of cover?

"I was with Mitsuru." His words came out like a small laugh. The kind when it's awkward and there's no way out. "I spent the day with her."

"Why?" was all she could ask. She didn't know if she was angry or stunned at his honesty. Maybe it was both.

He chose to meet her stare instead of look away. "Ever since I can remember, it's always been me and her. We rely on each other. Whenever I needed her, she would make time for me and vice versa."

Then what am I? she wanted to say. Chopped liver? "So you stood me up for her." She said instead, a statement, not a question.

He shook his head. "It's not that simple...She needed me, Hamuko."

Like I needed you. The words resounded in her mind. She didn't like where this was going. It was like opening a can of worms. She wanted to stop, but it was too late; the worms were everywhere.

"I always thought it would be me and her..." he said, running a hand through his hair out of frustration. It was then that she noticed the words weren't coming out on their own. It was more like he was forcing them out.

She stared at him blankly, not knowing what to think. What to feel. "You still stood me up for her."

"I've been thinking about it all week. I know it was wrong of me to do." he apologized. "I came out here, to tell you that..."

"Is it true...you two used to date?" she suddenly asked, cutting him off. If he wanted to throw cards on the table, she wanted to make sure they got all of them.

He took a breath of much needed air, then replied. "Yes."

"When?" The horrible feeling of anxiousness and impending doom cultivated in her stomach.

"It was the first year of high school." He closed his eyes, as if recalling the memory in his head. "She was going through a rough time and she confided in me. I had been harboring all sorts of feelings for awhile back then and as she sat in front of me crying, I blurted out a confession to her."

"You confessed?"

"Yeah," Akihiko said, suppressing a laugh. "It was like she was on fire and I was just trying to put her out. I told her, I really like you!"

"What did she say?"

"She looked at me like I was crazy. Then she just smiled. No words were needed."

_No words were needed._ "What…happened between the two of you?"

"We dated for awhile," he continued, dodging her direct question. "A few months to be precise. You see, back then I wasn't as get-together as I am now. My grades were sub-par and the longer we dated, the worse it got. Then one day, she just ended it."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that," he repeated. "I don't blame her. It made me open my eyes. Back when we were together, she said she wanted to Gekkoukan to follow her father's footsteps, but for me...I came here because of her. I didn't matter if I couldn't be with her, For some reason, I just wanted to be near her."

Did you love her? she wanted to say, but chose to stay silent instead.

He finally tore his gaze away from her. "They say you never forget your first love." he said aloud. The word _love_ stabbed at her like a dagger plunging deep into her heart.

"You loved her." Hamuko repeated. The words tasted bitter on her tongue.

"I did," he agreed. His hand on hers stopped her in her tracks, and she froze and closed her eyes, afraid that he would see the pain, the humiliation, the sheer blinding power of her love for him in the revealing depths. "But then I met you, and started to fall for you."

She opened her eyes, staring into the depths of his soul. He stared back. "You...like me?"

"Yes," he answered before bringing his face closer to hers. She didn't know what was happening. Weren't they just discussing something? Something important that was never really completed? She watched as his eyelids fluttered down. His breath was so close to hers. "I just...want to see something..."

He was so close to her now. She could feel the warmth of his body, the nearness of him, the indefinable, exquisitely potent force field of his masculinity as it reached out, as always, to enthral her, hold her spellbound. Her lips began to tremble. Why couldn't he feel it too? Liking her now could in no way, compare to loving Mitsuru in the past. She couldn't stay there a moment longer, it was too much to bear.

"I can't do this anymore," she said, then stood up and left. When Akihiko felt her hand pull away, he opened his eyes and could have sworn it was back then, and it was Mitsuru leaving—not Hamuko.

Akihiko sat with two Prodigy Platters in front of him, feeling more stupid than he had ever felt in his entire life.

He lifted his fork and took a bite.

* * *

Hamuko couldn't tell if she was walking or running anymore. By the time she looked up from the ground, she was at Naganaki Shrine. Looking to the sky, she looked up and saw it was already night time. Feeling her legs tremble, she hobbled towards the bench and sat down. "Idiot," she spat angrily.

She started zoning out until she felt something nudge her leg. When she looked down, she saw a white dog sitting at her feet. "Are you lost?"

The dog barked softly in response, causing her to crack a smile. Could it really understand what she was asking? Contemplating this, she heard her muffled text message alert. Probably Akihiko, she thought to herself. I'll just ignore it. She leaned back her head and stared at the street light. Curiosity getting the best of her, she shoved her hand into her pocket, she pulled out her phone and looked at the display.

_1 message received_  
_Sender: Shinjiro Aragaki_  
_08/11 - Sat - 9:01PM_

_Takeba came by looking for you. Where are you?_

She smiled weakly. It was just like him. Plain. Simple. Right to the point. No beating around the bush. No embellishments. No lies. She pressed the reply button and typed a reply. Once finished, she closed her phone put it away, and continued petting her companion. She heard the familiar noise again.

_1 message received_  
_Sender: Shinjiro Aragaki_  
_08/11 - Sat - 9:02PM_

_I'm coming. Stay there._

To her dismay, she felt her nerves getting the best of her. Trying to calm them, she continued petting the dog before pushing her hair behind her ear and readjusting her bobby pins. It wasn't long at all before she saw him running up the steps towards her. Neither of them spoke until he close enough to speak without having to yell.

"Trying to give me a heart attack for my birthday?" he asked gruffly.

She lowered her eyes to the ground. "I didn't feel like coming back yet."

He let out a frustrated sigh, then bent down to pet her new friend, "I see you met Koromaru."

"Koromaru?"

"Yeah," he replied. "I used to come around here a lot back then. His owner told me his name."

"What happened to his owner?" she asked.

Koromaru whimpered.

Shinji noticed this, then answered, "He passed away."

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that." she said. Shinji couldn't tell if she was asking himself or Koromaru.

"Don't be sorry, it's a part of life. It happens to everyone eventually. Some just sooner than others." Receiving no reply, he withdrew his hand from the soft white fur and looked up at her. "What happened?"

"He's in love with her," she said quietly. The oh-so familiar feeling of oncoming tears began to sting her eyes. She silently realized had no strength to blink them back. "It's obvious. I've always noticed...the way he looks at her is the way I wish he would look at me...I don't know why I'm crying. It seems like it's all I do lately. You must think I'm crazy."

He frowned, hearing the pain in her voice. He didn't have to think about his next move. It just seemed to happen. "Hamuko," he said, his voice rough with emotion. He stood up and stepped toward her, one hand reaching out to touch her hair and the side of her face. With his thumb, he wiped away her tears then pulled her up so she stood toward him. "I don't think you're crazy."

He touched her hair and pulled her head to his chest. She felt so small in his arms, so delicate. So right. Her hair smelled of sun and wind, but her appeal today was more than that. There was that familiar spark between them, one that tantalized with every touch, every look. Shinji's body tightened. Hamuko surprised even herself, snuggling against him with no hesitation, letting him soothe her and stroke her hair as if she were a child.

"Why are you so nice to me?" Hamuko knew that she was not imagining the sexual tension between them. It was very real—and constant. Even now, in this serene interlude, she was aware of his closeness and how in moments it could seize her with an exhilaration that was positively dangerous. But it never blinded her to her persistent feeling that Shinji was tormented by something, some demon from his past perhaps that could explain his enigmatic intensity.

"Does my being nice upset you?" he asked, feeling the corner of his lips curve into a smile and his heart thudding against his chest. He let his hands move down her back to the delicate curve of her spine. She pulled back a little, tilting her head to look up into his face. Her face was set and the traces of tears in her eyes turned them the color of glittering rubies.

"No, it's just that you were right," she admitted after a moments hesitation. "I should've listened to you...I should've listened to everyone."

"Do you think you're okay?" he asked, his eyes begging for a simple yes. He pulled back, though not away, his strong hands still resting on her upper arms, his wide fingers kneading the flesh beneath her coat. She nodded her head, biting down on her lip to ensure silence. "I have something important I want to tell you."

Hamuko neither spoke nor moved. There was something different this time in the way he touched her. There was a gentleness and a hesitation she had not felt before. Though they looked directly into hers, she could not read his eyes. Their faces were close, and his breath fluttered against her mouth. "What is it?"

"I like you," he said after withdrawing from her and turning slightly away. In the dim light she couldn't see his expression, but she felt his apprehension.

"Shinji," His name raced through her lips before she could prevent it. He turned towards her before she realized she couldn't ask any of the dozens of questions that flew through her mind. There was only one she felt she had the right to ask. "Why?"

"What do you mean why?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowed. "Why does anyone like anyone? It's because...it's you, that's why."

She shook her head. "That's not what I meant. You know I like Akihiko, don't you?"

"It doesn't matter to me," he replied, untying his scarf. He turned back towards her and placed it around her neck, looking her straight in the eyes. "It doesn't even matter if you can't forget about him. I don't expect you to. Just...don't reject what's standing before your very eyes. The person here, waiting for you."

* * *

**Author's Notes: ****  
*** Al dente describes pasta, rice or beans that have been cooked so as to be firm but not hard.  
* I hope it's clear to everyone that the line "I can't do this anymore" was what Mitsuru said to Akihiko when she broke up with him!

I am so sorry for the late update! I've been working five days a week now and the shifts are all 5PM to 12AMish. It's 3AM now and I've finally completed this chapter!  
While writing this I've noticed my style started changing again. I wonder if anyone else caught that. (I hope it's a good thing?)

Thanks to all my reviewers: Cielle's Amour, fraulein renoh, Whiteheaven, Tachikawa Yuzuki, Meow Factory, Strawberyl, I'm Doxophobic, Angeli-Ii-Demoni, Qismat Qami and Fenriz!  
I'm extremely glad (and excited) that everyone is enjoying learning new things about cooking. Working on this fanfic has taught me a lot! A love scene is imminent but don't worry, you will be warned before it happens~ I'm relieved to hear that Akihiko is in character (namely with his uncertain feelings with Mitsuru).  
I've noticed that I haven't been focusing on the other characters, so I'll be working on that. I get too caught up with the triangle, sorry guys!  
I have been working on adding elements from the game into this fanfic. There's namely one tricky one in this chapter. See if you can find it.  
Also, would anyone be interested if I uploaded a "fan CD" after I complete this fanfic? It wouldn't be songs I made myself, but songs that helped me inspire and create this!

For anyone interested in pictures/recipes/researching, it can be found at my tumblr located in my profile!


	6. Garnish

**garnish (gahr-nish)**_  
to add an interesting and completely edible item to a plate to make it look more attractive; or any such edible item_

* * *

It rained for three days. It was a solid downpour, not heavy but insistent. Hamuko sat in class, daydreaming about what happened the night before. His words were practically engraved in her mind. Whether it be eating, studying, or even dreaming; she couldn't do anything without thinking about them.

_"It doesn't matter to me. It doesn't even matter if you can't forget about him. I don't expect you to. Just...don't reject what's standing before your very eyes. The person here, waiting for you."_

She stared at him, trying to form a response. Her silence spoke volumes.

_"Come on, let's go back."_

With his scarf still around her neck, she stood up from the wooden park bench and followed him back to the dorms.

That night she had very little sleep. It was impossible to drift away to sleep when her mind kept focusing on his words. Wouldn't everything be much easier if she could just feel the same way about him? Aside from the sexual tension between them, she still couldn't get Akihiko off of her mind.

Three days passed and things didn't get any easier. She refused to even give Akihiko the time of day and the few times she ran into Shinji in the hallways, it was extremely awkward. He tried to stop her so they could talk and make pleasantries, but she would just bow her head and scurry off. It was painfully obvious to Junpei and Yukari that something was bogging her down. Whatever it was, they decided a group date was more than a good idea; it was a _great_ idea.

"Wow, does everyone here really go to Gekkoukan?" Junpei asked, looking around the group. "Why didn't I notice any of you?"

"Gekkoukan's a pretty big school," Yukari explained before continuing, "All right, how about we go around and introduce ourselves?"

A brown-haired boy with rather short hair stepped forward. "Hey, I'm Kenji Tomochika." he said, then stepped back.

Next, a girl with long black hair tied into a ponytail introduced herself. "Rio Iwasaki."

"I-It's nice to meet you." A shy voice called out. Everyone turned their attention to where it came from. "I'm Fuuka Yamagishi."

Hamuko's eyes turned to another member of their party. She found her gaze on a black-haired male. His hair was slicked back in a strange fashion. "Ryoji Mochizuki."

"Mochizuki?" Hamuko repeated. "Oh! You just transferred here a few days ago, right? You're in my homeroom."

"Yes, that's right. I'm honored you remembered." he said, sending a sly smile. His hand caught hers before she could act. Gently, Ryoji lifted her hand and brought it to his lips. An involuntary breath rushed in and out of Hamuko's lungs. "Your hands are exquisite. Narrow-boned, long-fingered. And the palms show hard work. That makes them interesting. Like you."

Hamuko found it easier to laugh and play off his sudden advance as if it were nothing. She glanced back to where Yukari was flirting with the last person. He had dark blue hair and distant eyes. His bangs went past his right eye and blocked nearly half of his face. Something about him made the insides of her stir, almost like a tug. "Minato...Arisato."

Junpei glanced back at Hamuko. "Arisato? Are you guys related to each other?"

Hamuko studied Minato. They certainly didn't look like. He gave a blank stare in return. She tilted her head to the side. "No, I don't think so."

"Man, wouldn't that be creepy if you two were like, long lost siblings or something?" Junpei laughed.

"All right," Yukari spoke. "That's enough of that. It's time to karaoke!"

Junpei grinned. "Dude, I've been waiting for this since school started. Me first!"

Everyone watched in awe at his surprising karaoke skills. Despite what Hamuko thought, Junpei actually had a really good voice.

_"I'm a war, of head versus heart,_  
_ And it's always this way._  
_ My head is weak, my heart always speaks,_  
_ Before I know what it will say."_

Hamuko heard her muffled ring-tone go off in her pocket. Deciding to ignore it, she pressed the silence button.

Yukari looked at her worriedly. "Isn't that your phone?"

Hamuko nodded her head reluctantly. Feeling Yukari's uncomfortable stare, she turned her gaze to Junpei who proceeded to play the air-guitar during the song's bridge. His unrivaled enthusiasm made her want to laugh or at the very least, smile. She tried her best to, but the stubborn frown stayed on her face.

_"And you can't find nothing at all,_  
_ If there was nothing there all along._  
_ There were churches, theme parks and malls,_  
_ But there was nothing there all along."_

She turned to Yukari and tried her best to smile. "It's nothing. My turn to sing!"

A mix of cheering and giggling filled the air once the song was over. Hamuko stood up, took the microphone from Junpei's hand and sang her heart out.

_"I hope my smile can distract you_,  
_ I hope my fists can fight for two_.  
_ So it never has to show_,  
_ And you'll never know."_

* * *

Akihiko's fingers felt numb as he flipped shut his cell phone. It was already three hours after class ended and he was sure she would pickup now. Patience wearing thin, he opened it again and pressed the call button twice. The insistent ringing left an echo in his ears.

He held his breath and counted to ten.

_"I'm sorry, I can't answer the phone right now. Please leave a message and I'll get back to you right away."_

In the span of three hours, it was the fifth time he called her and she still wouldn't answer. Was she that angry at him? It's not like he did anything terrible_,_ he just told her the truth. He was simply being honest with her. What kind of world were they living in where honesty wasn't the best policy? A beep sounded.

"Uh, hey. It's me, Akihiko. Can you call me back when you get this? I want to talk to you. Um, okay...bye."

He waited a second before closing his cell phone and falling back onto his bed. "Damn it..."

* * *

Hours later, the party winded down and after exchanging phone numbers, everyone decided to part ways.

"It's been fun guys, let's do this again sometime!" Hamuko said, excitedly.

"Man, I'm so sad today's over." Junpei sighed. We need to do this again soon!"

"It was really fun meeting today." Fuuka added. "I hope we see each other around campus more often."

On the way back to the dorm, Hamuko's cellphone rang at least two more times. She promptly hit the silence button and ignored the worried look Yukari gave her. Once inside their dorm, Hamuko sank onto the armchair diagonal from Yukari and pulled her cell phone from her pocket. She scowled at the display.

_10 missed calls: Akihiko Sanada  
1 new voicemail_

Why me? she wondered with a shake of her head.

"Akihiko-senpai, huh?" Yukari sighed.

Hamuko deleted the notifications. "Yeah, that guy just doesn't give up."

"What exactly happened between the two of you? Last I heard, you guys were going for dinner, then suddenly Aragaki-senpai brought you back."

"Akihiko said he wanted to talk...but then we got in a fight and I ran away. I didn't feel like coming back, so I wandered around then winded up at Naganaki Shrine."

"You fought? About what?"

Hamuko took a breath, then mumbled something along the lines of, "He said he liked me."

Yukari's jaw dropped. "_The_ Akihiko-senpai said he liked you? Hamuko, this is huge!"

Hamuko's eyebrow twitched. _The_ Akihiko-senpai? What was he, some sort of hot-shot? Did that entitle him to trample all over her? "The rumors are true. He did used to date Mitsuru-senpai. It's obvious he's still in love with her."

"Come on, I'm sure you're just imaging it. The past is the past."

"He stood me up the day we were supposed to meet at Chagall Cafe. For her."

Yukari frowned slightly. "But you didn't come back until around midnight."

"That's because Shinji came by and took me out."

"Oh...maybe you're right about that after all. So, _Shinji_ huh? What exactly is going on between the two of you?"

Hamuko's cheeks burned upon hearing his name. "Huh? N-Nothing. He just took me out of get my mind of being stood up. There's nothing going on between us."

"Okay," Yukari started, "Well, I didn't tell you this earlier...but when I went by his dorm and told him you were missing he had this really panicked look on his face. Before I could even finish asking, he already bolted off."

"What? Shinji did that?" Hamuko asked, her chest's sudden tightening made her shift uncomfortably.

"Yeah. Who knew he could be kind?" Yukari said, shrugging her shoulders. "Still, Aragaki-senpai? He's pretty popular on campus. He even has his own fan club. It's nowhere near the size of the Akihiko-senpai club, but it's still pretty impressive. He is number one in all of Gekkoukan after all."

"I-I can't believe it."

Suddenly, Yukari tilted forward with interest. Her eyes reflected curiosity. "Did you happen to hear anything else about Mitsuru-senpai and Akihiko-senpai? Like, any other truths?"

"No...What makes you ask?"

"It sounds stupid, but I heard that Mitsuru-senpai used him as a rebound. That they weren't really serious."

Before she could control it, a laugh escaped Hamuko's throat. So much for first loves. Mitsuru just used him; there was no love in that. And if there was, it was incredibly one-sided. It took awhile for Hamuko's laughter to still. When it did, she wiped the invisible tears from her eyes, and finally regained her composure. "So what do you think of Minato?"

Yukari kicked her feet onto the coffee table, relaxing once more. "Minato? He seems totally dreamy!"

"He's kind of strange," Hamuko pointed out.

"Strange? How?"

Hamuko bit her bottom lip. "I don't know...I get this feeling when he looks in my eyes."

A knock at the door startled both of them. Yukari shifted her eyes to the door and spoke first. "Hold on, I'll get it. Probably Junpei about tomorrow's assignment."

Yukari opened the door in one swift movement and saw Akihiko staring at her. "Akihiko-senpai..."

"Is Arisato there?" Akihiko asked, his breath sounding rushed. "I need to talk to her."

"Yeah. One second." Yukari responded. She turned away and Hamuko returned to the door.

"Uh, hey." Akihiko murmured before mentally kicking himself. He had spent the whole day practicing what he was going to say and this is what came out?

Hamuko glared at him. "What is it?"

"I came to apologize."

"It seems like you do that a lot," Hamuko said coolly. Studying his face, it was clear that he hadn't been sleeping well for the past few days. Serves him right, she thought bitterly. "You really need to get a new hobby. You know, one that doesn't involve standing me up."

When she turned to leave, she felt his fingers wrap around her upper arm, pulling her closer. "Would you hear me out?"

"I don't have anything to say to you," she countered. "I may just be some kind of replacement to you Sanada-san, but to other people I'm a birthday present."

Akihiko looked as if he had been struck by a blunt object and was about to pass out. Hamuko couldn't help but rejoice. She assumed the words _Sanada-san_ did it. "Birthday present? To who?"

"To Shinji," she responded. "He doesn't take me for granted. He likes me for me."

"Shinji said he likes you?"

"Yes. Now, if you don't mind." Hamuko was surprised when she remained in his hold after a strong attempt on her part to pull away. Frowning, she put both hands against his chest and pushed. She discovered that she had been wrong; under the lean frame was an amazing amount of strength. Infuriated that she had misjudged him and that she was outmatched, she raised her eyes again. "Let me go," she demanded between clenched teeth.

"No," Akihiko returned mildly. "I won't."

"What do you want?"

"First, I want you to stop calling me Sanada-san." Hamuko pouted, but kept silent. "Second, I want you to know I'm sorry for what I've done. Hell, I don't even _know_ what I've done wrong, but I'm sorry nonetheless."

"Is there anything else?" she demanded, trying to sound bored.

"Yes," he said quietly. "I think I'll just get this out of my system."

Hamuko's instincts were swift but they were standing too close for her to evade him. And he was quick. Her protest was muffled against his mouth. Her arms were pinioned to her sides as his locked around her. His mouth mystified her. Now it was not gentle or testing; it took and plundered and demanded more before she could withdraw a response.

When he lifted his mouth, Hamuko kept her eyes closed, savoring the lingering pleasures, inviting fresh ones.

"More?" he murmured as his hand trailed up, then down her spine. Heat raced after it. "Kissing can be a dangerous pastime." He lowered his mouth again, then nipped at her soft bottom lip.

Suddenly her heart raced to her throat. Her legs became rubbery, and a tingle sprinted up her spine. She studied Akihiko's charcoal grey eyes, and her mouth went dry. She shuddered. This was it; now or never, all or nothing. "What if...I asked you to stop seeing her?"

"What?" His voice was abruptly brisk.

She decided to rephrase her question. "If I asked you to stop seeing Mitsuru-senpai, would you?"

Akihiko drew away, but his grip remained firm. She couldn't read his expression as he searched her face. "Okay," he told her. "If that's what you want."

Hamuko wasn't sure if it was herself or him that initiated the last kiss before he decided to head back to his dorm. As he turned to leave, she watched him stride away in a smooth, fluid gait. When she was alone, she turned and walked back into the dorm.

"What happened?" Yukari asked, standing in the kitchen. In one hand she held a carton of orange juice, and in the other she held an empty glass.

"Akihiko...said he would stop seeing Mitsuru-senpai for me." she spoke the words as if she had a hard time believing them herself.

Yukari squealed in delight. "That's incredible!"

Hamuko nodded her head, then smiled wide. "Yeah, it's finally over."

* * *

**Author's Notes: IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! (Oct. 19th) **Please review as a birthday present! 8D**  
**

WHAT IS THIS I DON'T EVEN- HNNNG, how long has it been since I've updated? I feel like this chapter is really short, but I have some outlines I'd like to follow.  
Thank you everyone for the reviews! They really inspire me to keep working. (And I'm not just saying that!) The song Junpei sings in the beginning is Crooked Teeth by Death Cab for Cutie. I had a hard time finding a song for him to sing, so this song reflects Hamuko's emotions rather than Junpei's. I image he'd have a fun time singing that song. Regarding the last chapter, the "secret" reference to the game was Shinji's text to Hamuko. The time was 9:02 and in-game, September 9th was when he joined the party.

While working on this chapter I managed to get really sick to the point where I was taking a bus downtown and almost threw up. I had to get off, then stand outside for a few minutes, then I decided to bus back home (since no one could pick me up). Not being able to drive sucks, folks. Don't be like me.

Unrelated news: Surprisingly, I've been invited to be a co-founder of a DeviantArt Akihiko/FeMC group. If anyone here is interested, feel free to look me up and join! New members are greatly appreciated~ My username is exactly the same as it is here. /shameless plug

Here's the link for the fan CD: www. megaupload .com/ ?d=12KFMDRJ (remove the spaces)  
I've only uploaded songs from Chapter 1 - 6. Some songs are better off being read with the appropriate chapter to get the right effect. In Chapter 7, I'll be uploading the next batch of songs.  
Read the "read me" note in there first, please!


	7. Flambé

**Flambé (flahm-bey)**  
_to ignite a sauce or other liquid so that it flames_  
_most of the time flambéing has no real function other than to impress_

* * *

Absolutely perfect. That was the only way she could describe the few kisses she shared with Akihiko. So this was love, she thought. This utter trust and complete surrender of self. This gift of heart that left you open, defenseless, and full of joy.

"Hamuko-chan, did you hear? The exam results are finally posted!" Ryoji asked, waking her from her daydream. Turning to the side, she was greeted by his smiling blue eyes.

Her eyes smiled back. "Oh, it's already break, huh? I guess we've got to take a look then!"

After gathering the others, Hamuko walked the hallways cheerfully. She stepped lively, overly excited to see how she did on the past exam.

"Hoping to catch a glimpse of Akihiko-senpai?" Yukari giggled quietly, giving her a nudge in the arm.

Hamuko's head whipped up and took a look at her surroundings. It wasn't until then when she noticed where they were. She was in the third year's classroom hallway. Quickly, she turned her attention to her entourage. Everybody but Yukari was too busy chatting amongst themselves to notice. "Shh you!"

"There's nothing wrong with it," she smiled. "You two are so cute."

Ignoring her teasing, Hamuko continued walking down the hallway. Being the afternoon break the hallways were fairly busy, but not packed. Reaching Akihiko's class, she glanced in briefly and saw Mitsuru standing at Akihiko's desk. In that quick glance, she noticed Mitsuru talking to him, while Akihiko tried his best to ignore her. Even from that passing glance, she noticed the uneasiness in his eyes, the slouch in his posture. Swallowing hard, she forced herself to look away and quickened her pace.

Within a few minutes, they arrived at the commons where the results were posted. Using her uneasiness to her advantage, she shoved her way through the crowd. Then she saw it; number one. Her eyes stayed glued to the piece of paper, making sure it was real. A wave of relief washed over her and she smiled inwardly. That was one less thing to worry about.

Hamuko took a quick look around to make sure no one was looking, then skimmed the third-year's list. The results didn't surprise her at all.

1. Aragaki Shinjiro  
2. Sanada Akihiko  
3. Kirijo Mitsuru

"Ah, Akihiko-senpai." Yukari's voice one again caught her attention. "You're here too?"

Akihiko stepped forward from behind the others and smiled politely. "Yeah. My classmates kept talking about it all day."

Hamuko wondered if by classmates, he meant Mitsuru. Was she so important to him, that she wasn't just one person but instead several people? She decided she was being ridiculous, before shaking her head, trying to dismiss the thought completely.

"How did you do?" Akihiko asked. "First again?"

She nodded her head once and smiled weakly. "How did you do, Akihiko-senpai?" She watched as his cheeks filled with a rose color. Although he told her to call her Aki, she made it a habit of calling him Akihiko-senpai when they were around other people.

"Second. As always." A different voice answered.

Turning around, she was greeted by Shinji. Her shoulders tensed, sensing the anger behind his polite façade. He had that frigid look in his eyes again, she noted.

"Shinji-senpai..." She wanted badly to cringe, and had to force herself not to. The last time she saw him was the night at Naganaki Shrine when he confessed to her. As far as he knew, nothing happened between her and Akihiko.

He looked past her, focusing his attention to Akihiko. "Isn't that right, Aki?"

Hamuko saw the anger that flashed in Akihiko's eyes and was impressed when he ignored the jeer. Despite the surrounding students chattering, it was oddly quiet. The animosity seemed to silence everything.

"Kirijo-senpai is so amazing, she's right up there with Shinjiro-senpai and Akihiko-senpai!"

Everyone turned to where the sudden praise came from. Hamuko instantly recognized the girl as a classmate she barely knew. Turning back around, her eyes landed on Akihiko. His body stiffened noticeably. She never saw the look on his face before. He looked so...lost.

Less than a few seconds later, the bell rang letting students know the break was about to end. Before she could summon the strength to even say anything, everyone else turned to return to class. When the crowd cleared, Mitsuru stepped out from behind.

"I hope I'm not inconveniencing you, Arisato." she started, "Can we talk?"

Pressure weighed on her chest. She wanted more than anything to say no, but when she opened her mouth she replied, "Yeah."

Hamuko stood in place and watched as the few remaining students clear the area. Mitsuru, on the other hand, didn't seem to mind. "I've noticed that Akihiko has been acting strangely lately. Did you happen to say anything to him?"

She thought carefully for a moment, before choosing how to respond. "No, I didn't notice Akihiko-senpai acting any differently."

Mitsuru tilted her head to the side. "Hmm, is that so? I understand this grades have been falling as of late."

"His...grades?"

"Our teacher asked him to stay at the end of today's classes to speak to him," Mitsuru explained, before realizing she was getting off-track. "Regardless, I'd like to clear any doubts you have about Akihiko and I. The two of us have been friends for a number of years. Our relationship now is strictly platonic."

"Now?" Hamuko asked, choosing to fixate on the word.

Mitsuru recoiled a bit, then played it off by tossing her head, throwing a lock of red curls over her shoulder. "We've dated in the past. For a few months."

So it was true. "Do you need him?"

"Do I need him? What an odd thing to ask." A smile curved her full lips, her eyes sparking with confidence. "Yes. He's an important part of my life. I need him and he needs me."

The sting in her chest was impossible to ignore, but she did her best to push it aside. "Aki told me he likes me."

"Aki?" Mitsuru repeated. Her lips curved into something between a smile and a sneer. "Did he ask you to call him that?"

Hamuko was taken aback by the question. How much did she want to know? How much did she already know? "Yes."

Mitsuru laughed, a harsh, angry sound that scratched at the air like a cat's claws, leaving almost visible scars. "And who do you think gave him that nickname? Akihiko may have told you he likes you, but Aki told me he loved me."

Hamuko felt her body turn to ice. "That was...in the past."

"Even so, there's this saying," Mitsuru replied, folding her arms across her chest. She tilted her head, trying to recall how it went. "You never forget your first love. Isn't that right?"

"He told me he would stop seeing you."

"Do you think he can really do it?" Mitsuru asked, then unfolded her arms and reached into her pocket, pulling out her cell phone. "Let's make a bet. We'll both send him a text message to meet after school and we'll see who he comes to. Are you in?"

She released a deep breath of air from her lungs and said nothing. She'd been a fool to think she might emerge from this discussion unscathed.

"Afraid he won't show?" Mitsuru continued, the words stabbing at the air. "If I were you, I would be too. Akihiko will always be with me. With or without you."

With or without you. Those mere four words scared Hamuko to death. As much as she wanted to deny it, something deep inside of her feared Mitsuru might be right. He did it before, he would surely do it again. She had to fight it. She couldn't weaken. Summoning every ounce of courage in her body, she finally spoke, "I'm not afraid."

The last warning bell rang through the school, causing Mitsuru to shoot one last grin. "Good luck."

* * *

It was already the end of the day and Akihiko still hadn't sent a message back to confirm if he would be meeting her. Looking at the empty classroom, Hamuko wondered if he was with Mitsuru. Was he out having fun with her? Smiling and laughing like he did with her? Did he really have no consideration when it came to her own feelings?

_Aki_. Back when he asked her to call him by that nickname she was so happy. No, she was more than happy; she was ecstatic. It finally meant she was getting somewhere. Only to find out Mitsuru had already beat her to it. She claimed the land in the name of Kirijo and changed it's name to Aki. Someone like him was what they called 'damaged goods'. Surely being involved with him would only bring heartbreak.

"You're still here!"

Opening her eyes and sitting up quickly, Hamuko looked towards the doorway and saw Akihiko standing there. The way he used the door frame to steady himself made it look like he had a hard time catching his breath. It was clear that he had been running.

After taking a moment to regain his composure, he stood up and walked across the empty room towards her. "I thought you weren't coming," she informed him quietly.

"Of course I'd come." he replied matter-of-factly. In one fluid movement he lifted a chair off a desk and set it down across from her. She watched with mixed emotions as he straddled the chair and sat facing her. "Why wouldn't I?"

She stared in his eyes for a moment, not knowing what to say. He saw her gaze flit down to his mouth and return, startled, to his eyes. He heard the little rush of breath shudder through her lips. It was tempting, he thought, very tempting to close the slight distance, to taste what he had already sampled.

"Nothing," she said, before bringing her lips closer to his, reaching inside his head and making the decision for him.

However innocent she looked, she wasn't. There was something about her that sparked something, almost like a magnet. Every time he drew away, she always managed to bring him back.

"Really?" The words came out as a whisper. He wanted her mouth, and took it. His tongue swept over hers, teasing, inviting, mixing his dark, intimate taste with her own. Smooth, so smooth, that slide of tongue, that slide of lips. He gentled the kiss. He kept her simmering on the razor's edge of passion. His mouth teased, promised, then fed her growing need, before breaking away completely.

"Yeah," she said, moving her head in short, rapid nods. "I just really missed you."

"Hold out your hand," he ordered gently. When she did so, he dropped a cell phone into her hand. "I've been thinking about it...and I want you to have this. Even if I delete her number, she'll just keep calling me."

"Are you sure?" she asked, her voice strained. "What if Mitsuru-senpai asks why you aren't responding?"

"I'll tell her how it is," he assured. "I told you I'm not going to see her and that's what I'm going to do. It's best this way, right?"

She looked in his eyes, searching for the answer. Then found it. "Yes. Yes it is."

* * *

"What happened? You don't look so good." Junpei asked while fixing his baseball cap.

Hamuko looked up to Junpei, who stood at the side of her desk. "What? Oh, it's nothing."

His intense stare made Hamuko shift uncomfortably. "Come on, you can't hide it from me."

"It's this damn cell phone," she said, finally caving in. She tossed it at him, then threw her arms over her desk dramatically. "It never stops."

"Akihiko-senpai's phone?" Junpei took the foreign item in his hands and started going through it. "Woah! Look at all these missed calls!"

Yukari raised her eyebrows, before leaning in to join the conversation. "Huh? How many are there?"

"Nine—"

"That's not so bad."

"—teen."

"Oh."

"That's not even the worst part. On top of that, he has a butt-load of texts too."

"But it's only been a day since he gave it to you, right?" Yukari asked, her voice incredulous. "That means these are all from last night."

Hamuko groaned. "Last night was the worst. Akihiko-senpai didn't even tell me how to silence it. It took me about an hour to realize it doesn't have a silent mode."

"What kind of cell phone doesn't have a silent mode?" Junpei asked, his voice dripping with disbelief.

"Apparently this one." Hamuko muttered as Junpei dropped the phone in her hand.

"Why don't you turn it off then?" Yukari asked, silencing the two.

She gripped the tiny electronic in her hand, trying to formulate an answer. "I don't know."

"That's so sad," Junpei sighed. "Right when things start going well, you can't even text him anymore."

"It's all cause of Mitsuru-senpai," Yukari replied, making a fist. "We should go lock her in the gym, that'll teach her a lesson!"

She couldn't help but chuckle as Junpei high-fived Yukari. Feeling a sudden vibration in her hand, Hamuko looked down and stared at the screen in shock. She blinked, then reread it to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

'Come to the hospital. It's father.'

Noticing the face she made, Junpei looked at her questioningly. "Did you get a text?"

As if on cue, the classroom door slide open and Akihiko entered the room. The few girls in classed squealed and started to crowd around him. He, of course, paid no attention to them and managed to make his way through the man-made barrier. "Are you ready?"

Hamuko swallowed. Hard. "Yup."

After saying goodbye to the other two, Akihiko slipped his arm over her shoulders and guided her to the exit. Deciding to go somewhere new for a change, the two headed towards Iwatodai Station.

As they boarded the monorail, Hamuko watched him warily. Should she tell him about the text from Mitsuru? It sounded like an emergency. Then again, by handing her the cell phone didn't he forfeit that right?

She took a seat and he sat down beside her. For the first bit, nothing was said between them.

"How was your day?" Akihiko suddenly said, surprising the both of them.

"It was alright." she replied, then felt a sudden smile come onto her face. "Yukari said something that made me laugh."

"Really? What did she say?"

Hamuko faltered for a bit. There was no way she could tell him how Yukari suggested locking Mitsuru in the gym. The smile disappeared instantaneously when she recalled the text message.

"Actually, there's...something I need to tell you."

Reluctantly, he turned his head toward her, an involuntary shudder disturbing his otherwise placid demeanor. "Huh? What is it?"

"Before you came, I received this weird text from Mitsuru-senpai. It says to come to the hospital." She watched as his shoulders rose, then fell. His eyes flashed with worry. "Are you going to go?"

The atmosphere turned uneasy and the silence stretched on between them. "No."

"It sounds really important," she explained, taking a hold of his arm. "maybe you should—"

Akihiko sat forward and stood up. "We're here. Let's get some takoyaki."

Giving out an exasperated sigh, Hamuko stood up and followed him out the doors. On the walk to Iwatodai Station, she made sure to stay a few steps behind him.

"How many?" The vendor asked.

She watched as Akihiko checked his watch for the fifth time since she told him the news. "Sorry, what?"

"How many do you want, kid?"

Her hand linked around his and she tugged him towards her. "Go see Mitsuru!" she ordered, holding out his cell phone towards him.

"What the hell...is this?" Akihiko asked, confused for a bit. Realizing what she was referring to, he narrowed his eyes. In a quick gesture, he grabbed her free arm and pulled her towards him. "Wasn't it you who said not to see her?"

"Ow...That hurts!" Using every fiber of her being, she withdrew from him and averted her eyes. "If I never said anything, you probably would've continued to see her...and then your feelings for her would resurface."

"What the hell!" he yelled. "I don't get it...What do you want me to do?"

"I asked her if she needed you. She said yes," she murmured, swamped with envy. "That answer was right."

His hand dropped to his side. "You talked to Mitsuru? When?"

"You told me before...that you always thought it would be you and her. You've been acting strangely since you agreed to stop seeing her. You look really hurt...or you're completely out of it. And the reason is so obvious that it's annoying! You need her!" she said, spitting each word into the space between them.

"What are you...saying?"

"It's true that you can't resist her! And that Mitsuru-senpai needs you too!" She stopped, then pointed a finger to herself. "That just leaves me then...I'm...I'm fine even without you around."

Akihiko wrapped his fingers around her arm. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't escape his white-knuckle grip. "Why are you always like that? Stop lying! Stop trying to be strong! Always taking on everything and enduring it all on your own! Stop trying to be tough!" She tossed his words aside with the wave of her hand, a shake of her head.

"No! To tell you the truth, it doesn't matter to me whether you look sad or if you're in pain...What I don't like...is that it's my fault." Gripping the cell phone even tighter, she brought it up to his face once more. Only then did he notice the pride glistening in her eyes. "I just don't want to be the bad guy, that's all! It's not all about you!"

There was a long pause during which neither spoke. Then suddenly, in that one moment, everything was clear.

"All right, I get it." he finally said, taking the cell phone out of her hand before turning around to walk away.

"It's best this way," she repeated, listening to the footsteps that faded away. "Right?"

There were no replies, no backwards glances. Not even so much as a goodbye.

Hamuko waited until he left completely before collapsing onto a nearby bench. The realization and overall grief of it all didn't hit her until a few minutes passed. Then she felt it. She couldn't catch her breath. It was like someone had reached into her chest and ripped out her heart. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach. This horrible feeling of nausea took over and made her double-over.

She didn't know what to do, much less where to go, so she did the first thing she could think of; call Shinji. Her hands trembled as she struggled with her cell phone to find his number. Twenty minutes later, just like that, he came to her side to find her sitting on a bench as strangers glanced and whispered amongst themselves. She looked like a doll, he mused. Inanimate and empty. Her eyes glossed over, probably from crying. He noticed her noticing him, and didn't say anything. He simply sat beside her and waited for her to speak.

"Why?" she asked minutes later, finally able to breathe.

Sulking. It was so unattractive, he decided, and sulked a bit himself. "Why what?" He returned, never taking his eyes away from their surroundings.

"Why did I say things that will only being the end closer?"

She looked so lovely, he thought. So lost. "Maybe deep down you knew it was right."

Hamuko felt Shinji's arm brush against the side of her own, waited for it to withdraw, was strangely pleased when it didn't. Reaching down, he linked their fingers together and squeezed.

"That hurts..." Hamuko murmured, using the back of her free hand to wipe away unwanted tears.

"I'm making it hurt," came his simple reply.

"I don't know why they call it heartbreak. It feels like every other part of my body is broken too." she said, her face twisting into a sad smile. The tears continued to stubbornly fall down her face. "Have you ever been in love?"

"I know the feeling." he began, a pesky smile threatening to destroy the intended seriousness of his tone, "It's horrible, isn't it? How it makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest, then opens your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up. You build all these defenses, you build up a whole suit of armor, so that nothing can hurt you. Then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life...You give them a piece of you. They didn't ask for it. They did something dumb one day, like kiss you or smile at you, and then your life isn't your own anymore. Love takes hostages. It gets inside you. It eats you out and leaves you crying in the darkness."

He stared at her with reciprocated surprise at his words. Then her smile bloomed slowly, drawing his attention to the shape of her mouth. His heart pounded erratically.

I hate love, he sighed.

* * *

Akihiko sat on a hospital chair out in the hallway, counting the number of tiles on the floor. Visitor hours were over for the day and honestly, he couldn't care less. He hated hospitals more than anything in the world and yet there he was, sitting on some plastic chair like a chump. He couldn't quite figure out why he bothered to come. It wasn't for Hamuko, it wasn't for Mitsuru and it sure as hell wasn't for Mitsuru's father. He supposed it was because there was nowhere else to go.

Annoyed with himself, he dragged a hand through his hair. He watched through his peripheral vision as Mitsuru left the room her father was staying and walked towards him, her three inch heels clicking loudly against the ceramic tiles.

"Thanks for coming," she said gratefully. He stood up to meet her, pretending not to notice how obviously distraught she looked. "For a second I didn't think you would. It means a lot to me. You've been such a support. You always listen to my problems."

"It's nothing." he responded while throwing his school uniform jacket over his right shoulder.

She smoothed the pleats in her skirt nervously. "Although I like you, there's nothing that should worry Arisato. There's no reason why we still can't see each other. You know father really likes you."

"I know." he said, responding only to her last sentence. The look in his eyes was something she had never seen before. It was dark. Brooding, almost.

Unfazed by his behavior, she slipped her arm through his and pulled him closer. The scent of cherries were suffocating. "Would you like to eat somewhere before going back to the dorm?"

* * *

It was twilight and Hamuko sat alone at Naganaki Shrine. Hours after consoling her and keeping her company, Shinji had to leave for work. It was odd how before that moment, she never even knew he had a job. He must work really hard to juggle both academics and work, she decided.

Holding her MP3 in one hand, Hamuko browsed through the songs looking for something that would suit the mood. Settling on a blues song, she closed her eyes and let the lyrics flow through her mind.

_"See I thought love was black and white,_  
_That it was wrong or it was right._  
_But you ain't leaving without a fight,_  
_And I think I am just as torn inside."_

When the song ended, she opened her eyes and saw her mysterious classmate walking up the stairs. Minato Arisato. He, too, wore his similar MP3 and silver headphones. She recalled thinking he must have copied her when he first transferred into their class a few weeks ago, then again, what were the chances? She didn't wait before removing her own headphones so they could converse.

"What are you doing here?" she called out.

Making his way across the empty playground, he took a seat beside her. He looked towards the orange sky, then back at her. "Just killing time. You?"

"Same." she answered, thinking it was a good enough answer.

"Thinking about him?"

She looked at him quizzically. "Who?"

"Sanada," he replied evenly. His dark eyes constantly scanned their surroundings. "You two are an item, aren't you?"

"We're not an item." She said, fidgeting with the end of her skirt. Her once calm hands balled into a fists. "We just…"

Minato leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "I see. But you want to be with him, don't you?"

"It's complicated." She explained. "Too complicated."

He looked at her soulfully. "Love shouldn't be complicated."

* * *

"Hamuko-chan, are you busy later?" Ryoji asked cheerfully. "I was thinking after school we could head over to Game Panic and have some fun."

"Sorry Ryoji-kun, I'm not really feeling up to it today. Can I take a rain check?"

He frowned in disappointment. "Aww."

The sound of the classroom door opening behind her made her jump, spin around.

"Everybody come quick!" Fuuka shouted, her voice filled with panic. "Akihiko-senpai and Shinjiro-senpai are fighting!"

Everyone shot up from their desk and made a dash towards the commotion. Upon arriving the scene, Hamuko had to fight her way through the crowd to get a decent view.

"You selfish son of a bitch! You had everything yet you still threw it away!" she heard Shinji shout through the murmurs and chatter. Making her way to the front, she saw Shinji sitting on top of Akihiko, punching him repeatedly in the face. Mitsuru stood behind Shinji, trying to coax him to stop his assault.

Struggling violently, Akihiko managed to bring up his leg and boot Shinji in the chest causing him to stumble backwards, Mitsuru reached out to help steady his balance. "You don't know what the hell you're talking about!" Regaining his composure, Akihiko lifted himself up and prepared his fist for contact. Before he had the satisfaction of landing a punch, Minato and Junpei grabbed a hold of both his arms. Meanwhile, Mitsuru pulled Shinji to her and away from Akihiko. Her chest tightened.

"Stop this nonsense immediately!" A middle-aged man yelled as he ran to the scene and used himself to separate the two. When both Akihiko and Shinji calmed down, he escorted them away to the faculty office. They both followed him reluctantly, never making eye contact with each other.

* * *

"I'm not exaggerating," Fuuka assured. Her left hand playing with a mechanical pencil while her right held her cell phone to her ear. "Fangs were bared. Murder was in the air."

Yukari flipped a magazine page. "What do you make of it?"

Fuuka rolled the pencil between her fingers. "I believe…he's seriously smitten."

* * *

Shinji sat at the bar of Hagakure, enjoying their special. It seemed like a good idea, one he looked forward to all day, but he didn't have an appetite. So instead of enjoying the taste, he merely enjoyed the aroma. He looked down, frowning at the waste.

A small bell sounded and he heard footsteps heading towards him. The bar stool next to him swung around and someone took a seat. Immediately, he knew who it was. Not willing to give in, he picked up some noodles and forced himself to eat. Just like always, he waited for her to speak first.

"Why did you start fighting?"

"Bastard ate the last of my cereal." he replied, rolling his eyes.

It was full of fun and affection and sly humor. It made her rest her chin on her fisted hands and grin and response. "Did you get him good for me?"

He chuckled, set his chopsticks down, then returned her stare. His eyes shined with amusement. "You betcha."

"So, what are you having?"

"The special."

Hamuko ordered the same thing, then watched him silently, knowing full well he wasn't enjoying his meal. It seemed like being expelled for a day had it's effect on him. Not only did he look ruffled, but it was effecting his appetite too. She studied the bruise on his face, assuming it was from a punch Akihiko managed to land before she arrived and Junpei and Minato intervened.

"Looks like he did a number on you." she said in awe. She brought a hand to his face and traced the circle under his eye with her index finger.

Shinji let out a sharp laugh. "This is nothing compared to what I did to him."

* * *

An hour later Hamuko sat on her living room sofa, watching the newest Steel Chef. One hour to prepare five dishes using one common ingredient. That was the kind of thing she wanted to do. She wanted to test herself, push boundaries and achieve new heights. How amazing would that be, she thought to herself.

Hearing her cell phone go off, she extended her hand beside her and answered it without thinking. All she heard was, 'meet me in the courtyard' followed by a click. Once the call ended she looked at the screen. It was Akihiko. To her intense annoyance, she felt her face go hot. She spent a fair twenty minutes contemplating if she should go. Nothing good was bound to happen if she did show up. Despite her better judgment, she threw on a sweater and headed out the door.

When she arrived, he was sitting on a cement bench. Shinji was right, he did have it worse. In addition to the mysterious band aid over his left eye, there was another one across his nose. A small, but noticeable cut on the right side of his mouth. He looked weak and extremely vulnerable.

Hearing the scuffle of her shoes, he stood up to greet her before settling back down onto the bench. She stayed silent as he leaned over and rested his elbows on his knees. "I...went to see her."

Hamuko nearly laughed. "What is this? You bothered to report that to me?"

"Listen to me!"

"No thanks!" she shouted, turning away. "I don't have that much free time on my hands! Just leave me alone!"

Instantly he was at his feet, ready to stop her from leaving. "Hamuko!"

Her footsteps froze in place. For a moment there was no sound except her breathing and the crickets chirping into the night.

"I've had enough..." she muttered under her breath. "Enough..."

She clenched her fists and looked down onto the ground, trying to hide the tears that began to collect in her eyes. Damn, she thought bitterly. I can't speak. I can't breathe...I can't even sniffle. No...If I sniffle, I'll give away that I'm crying.

"I can't leave her alone!"

Her breath came out in one explosive puff as she turned around. "I said, enough already!"

"But it's even harder for me to leave you alone! It pains me a lot more when you cry...than when Mitsuru cries. Your tears are more painful!"

For a moment she couldn't think straight, her breath frozen in her lungs, but when she felt the heat of his hands on her shoulders she began to fight. She couldn't listen to him. She couldn't weaken. He could only watch, stunned as she raised both hands, grabbed a hold of his sleeves and pushed his arms away.

She recovered her composure, and with it her resolve. "Just now Akihiko...you said, 'more than Mitsuru' didn't you? Tell me...what does 'more' mean? What do you mean by, 'my tears are more painful?' Why are you comparing us? Are your feelings so uncertain that you can only recognize them by comparing?"

"That's not what I meant!" he shouted, taking a step towards her.

"But isn't that right! Being chosen that way...This, 'well if I had to make a choice, then it's you', doesn't make me happy at all! I don't consider feeling that you can only distinguish through comparison to be genuine! And also, it pains you more when I cry? That sounds like pity to me! I would never mistake pity for love!"

"Hamu—"

"If those are your feelings, Akihiko, I don't want them! That's not what I want at all!" She yelled, no longer caring if he watched her cry. "My feelings were real! I liked you...Akihiko!"

Before he could say any more, she turned on her heel and began to run.

I liked you, she thought with a sardonic smile. How ironic, the words that I am finally able to say...signal the end...

* * *

"What? He actually said that?" Yukari gasped. Hamuko could only nod in response. "I'm going to go beat the crap out of him!"

Springing forward, she grabbed a hold of her friend's arm. "Wait! No, don't go, don't go!"

Yukari humphed in response. "After all he did, he has the nerve to say that? He's unbelievable!"

Hamuko felt a something in her pocket go off. Learning from her mistake, she took a look at the screen first. It was Shinji. "Ah, hold on. I got a call."

She watched as Yukari left her room. Although she never voiced it, she was grateful that she was room mates with her. After the falling-out with Akihiko, she planned on going to bed and crying herself to sleep. She didn't want to get up, much less speak with anyone. Yukari on the other hand, would have neither of the two. She came to her side and talked about her problems until she felt even a little bit better. That little bit made all the difference in the world.

She leaned onto her side, flipped it open and pressed it against her face. "Hello?"

"I've decided I'm never going to make you cry."

"Wh-What are you talking about?" she sputtered, sitting up quickly. She could tell from the tone in his voice that he was serious. Not angry, nor intimidating, but serious.

"I'm. Never. Going. To. Make. You. Cry." he repeated, deliberately leaving a pause after each word.

"What? Besides, you know I like Akihiko."

"But it's not working out." he replied matter-of-factly. "Just to let you know, I'm going to take advantage of that."

"What—"

She heard a click, then looked at the screen. The call ended.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**  
* Silent mode-less phones do exist, I swear. My brother has one. Apparently the best he can do is set it to vibrate.  
Finally, another update! I hope you enjoyed this chapter~ This chapter was built on blood, sweat, tears and even more tears. I feel like there's a lot going on now, it's almost hard to keep track. Is it just me, or does this chapter seem super long?  
The next installment of music is finally available (another reason why this chapter took so long):

www[.]mega upload[.]com[/]?d=S5YHTSSA


	8. Chop

**Chop (tʃɒp)**  
_to cut into irregular pieces_  
_foods can be chopped from very fine (minced) to coarse_

* * *

Several weeks passed by in a flash. With thoughts of Akihiko finally out of her mind, Hamuko found it easier to focus on school. Not only did her grades go up considerably, but also her drive to learn. Of course the memory of a lingering kiss would surface occasionally, but as time passed so did the feeling. Soon it was nothing but a mere blur; some sort of hazy memory that felt like a dream. Like any good magic trick, it was gone and vanished without a trace.

Her relationship with Shinji wasn't as awkward as before. The wall she swore was there seemed to fade. _Time heals all wounds_, she remembered him saying. Every time she felt down, she'd repeat it in her mind like a mantra. At the time she didn't believe a breath of it but now she knew better. _Time heals everything._

It was a sunny afternoon.

"Too sunny," Shinji muttered as they left schbool grounds. He wanted to stay inside and eat lunch but Hamuko wouldn't let him hear the end of it.

"It's so nice out!" She kept saying. "It'd be a crime to stay indoors."

He watched her smile out of the corner of his eye, then followed her lead. "Yeah."

They walked down the stairs, heading to the commons when Shinji saw what awaited them. There she was; perfect red curls and bright pouty mouth. He sensed Hamuko withdraw and inwardly sighed. Since Mitsuru was busy talking to another student council member he was sure they could get away without being noticed.

Not even four yards away and she had already spun around, eyes full of resolution, ready to battle.

"Oh Shinjiro," she smiled, tossing her flowing hair over one shoulder. "Going out to eat lunch? How strange."

"I needed a change of pace." He returned levelly. He was a fool to think he could escape this unscathed.

Hamuko kept a step behind Shinji and silently wondered what she meant by _strange_. Was it so strange that they were together? She didn't dare air her thoughts out loud, not after their last confrontation.

Mitsuru didn't seem to acknowledge her presence and instead kept talking, "Now that I ran into you, about next week's lab..."

Without looking back for consent, Shinji reached behind him and grasped Hamuko's hand firmly. "Sorry, but could we do this another time? We've got a date." He tugged her hand gently causing her to step forward for proof.

Mitsuru stiffened, then folded her arms across her chest. "I see. I'll talk about it in class then," Then while they were still within earshot she continued, "You should watch who you spend time with, Shinjiro. People will begin to talk."

He tossed her one last careless look before running off. "Let them."

She pressed her lips together in a straight line.

* * *

_Café 22._ Since Hamuko read rave reviews about it in the newspaper, she finally worked up enough courage to try it out. She was more than glad Shinji talked her into trying something new. If it wasn't for him she probably would never have entered. On the other hand...

She groaned into her French onion soup. "Why did you do that?"

"Do what?" he asked, "I don't see any wrong with my actions."

"Hold my hand!" she clarified, jolting into an upright position. "What if she starts to get the wrong idea?"

"Let her," Shinji countered easily, "Stop letting other people's view of you change your life."

"Shinji, is this...really a date?" She asked with a directness that surprised both of them.

He stared back at her. "Is it?"

"Don't dodge my question."

He leaned in ever so slightly which caused her to do the same. "You want the truth?"

She studied him carefully. "Yes."

"If it was up to me, this wouldn't be a date. This would be everyday. Is that good enough?"

"How do you make that up?" she asked, trying to ignore the redness rushing to her cheeks. His grin was quick and completely self-deprecating. "Do you quote lines from movies or something? Besides, how uncomfortable was that? Why does she always have to make things harder for me?"

Shinji took a breath of much needed air, then decided to tell the truth. "That...might be because of me."

"Because of you?"

"She liked me. It was the beginning of freshman year. We met in homeroom. She was always number three. Book smart, but needed help in the actual cooking practice. One day she came to me for help and I didn't say no. Then after the graduation ceremony she confessed to me. I turned her down. I didn't like her. She was just a classmate. Nothing more, nothing less."

Turning her head, Hamuko looked out the window, then at the batch of light the sun tossed onto the table between them. "I see."

"Don't give me that look," he sighed then murmured, "Je te désire."

She stared at him with confusion. "Je te...what?"

"What?" He asked, even quicker than she asked. What had he said? Je te désire? His eyes widened with horrific realization._ I want you_.

"Just now, that was French, wasn't it?" She asked. "I've always wanted to learn. When did you learn it? Is it hard?"

He was thankful she was easily distracted. He lifted his coffee and sipped, taking a moment to settle his nerves. "Just in my spare time. It's good to have a hobby."

"How do you find time for it when you have so many part time jobs?"

"If it's important, you make time for it." He replied simply. She caught the underlying message and smiled. "How about I teach you some then?"

"You can definitely try."

"Don't be so modest. I've seen your grades. Still number one."

Her calm smile broke out into a chuckle. "Alright, go ahead."

"Je m'appelle means _my name is_. Je m'appelle Shinjiro."

"Je m'appelle...Hamuko." Waiting a moment, she broke into a hearty laugh. "My accent is so horrible! You know what? I'd love to go to France someday."

He smiled. "Me too. I love French food. You know, french toast, french fries..."

"You had be going there!" She laughed, the sound echoing off the walls in the small cafe. Receiving a stare from the barista, she covered her mouth and leaned in to whisper, "Did you know there's this bakery named Ladurée and they sell over ten thousand macarons a day?"

"So you want to own a bakery?" He whispered back. "Is it a secret?"

She giggled and leaned back, "Not really a bakery, but more of a cafe. I suppose that's a really common dream."

"I wouldn't say that. I think most people at this school don't know what they want yet. It's a good thing you have a goal."

"What about you? Why are you in Gekkoukan?"

"I don't know how to answer that."

"Try thinking about it first."

His eyes strayed from hers to the painting hanging over her right shoulder, then to the sunlight that spilled through the large windows. "I want everything. I guess I figured this is the best way to start."

"That's true. I think Gekkoukan is a great stepping stone." She picked up her bag and began rifling through for something. A few seconds later she slid the piece of paper in front of him. "There's going to be a cooking contest next week. Are you going to enter?"

"I won last year, so why not?"

"_Hmm_, but that was before I entered. I'll snatch first prize away from you like that." She snapped her fingers to emphasize the last statement.

He chuckled, "I don't think so, but dreams are free aren't they?"

She rolled her eyes. "Oh please. What arrogance!"

"Not arrogance, _confidence_." He corrected matter-of-factly.

"There's a fine line between the two." She explained while bringing a spoon to her tea. "A very fine line."

"How about this," he began, not bothering to hide the smirk that crawled across his face, "loser has to serve the winner for a whole week."

"I'm in." She said, then raised her cup. He raised his in response and clinked them together. "What should I have you do when I win? I got it! Every morning you'll make me french toast."

"Sounds like a deal," he responded. "Then if I win, every morning you'll make me french fries."

* * *

The day was over and Hamuko briskly walked down the hallway to Shinji's classroom. Over the past weeks they made it a habit of meeting up after school. She peered inside the classroom only to be thrown off by what she saw.

There he was, sitting at his desk, as perfect as always. She watched with mix emotion as he leaned over his desk to grab his book-bag. However, he wasn't alone. Mitsuru stood at his side, speaking to him softly.

Hamuko tried to swallow the lump in her throat. When she couldn't, she spun around and began to run down the hallway.

"Where were you? I went by your class, but I heard you came looking for me." He waited on a response before he finally realized he wasn't going to get one. "What did I tell you about coming here today? I said I'd come for you when class ends."

She looked to the ground. "I forgot. Sorry."

He didn't say anything else. Sighing, he reached out his hand, interlocked their fingers together and began to walk away. "Let's go."

* * *

Shinji saw her immediately. She was eights yards away, just entering Wakatsu. He watched carefully as she walked towards him. She was still the same. Same unruly hair, same elitist attitude. She walked across the restaurant like she owned it; like she owned everything. Then it hit him: nothing had changed. He waited until she joined him before he acknowledged her with a nod of his head.

"What do I owe this great honor to? I believe we haven't spoken together like this since last year." She asked before signaling a waitress over. Almost immediately someone was there at their table. The power of fear, he thought to himself. "Coffee. Black."

When the waitress was gone, he shook his head. "Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

The woman was a menace, he decided. "You know. With Aki. I hear you told Hamuko you gave him that nickname?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Her eyes widened and she placed her coffee down. "Oh! Did I mention how I'll be studying abroad once we graduate?"

He rubbed his temple, feeling a headache coming on. "Is that so? Where?"

"London. Le Cordon Rouge."

"I won't be studying there. There's no reason for you to go."

"Why do you always have to be so cold towards me? Don't you remember what we were like?" She clenched her skirt in both hands. "Shinjiro, I still—"

"Just stop," he interrupted in a tone of clipped finality. "That was a long time ago, things are different now. It's not like before."

"It's because of her, isn't it?" she demanded, throwing out her hands as if to push his words aside. "Arisato. It's true. You like her. What does she have that I don't?"

He immediately shot up from his seat. "And what about Aki? Aren't you using him just to get me jealous? Just like before?" The fact that she was speaking softly didn't lessen the power and fury behind the words. It only added to them. His words were a sharp slap of shame to an exposed cheek. She winced from the blow, but steadied herself.

"It's never going to happen." She retorted, louder than she should have. "She's in love with him."

His back stiffened. "And they'll never work, just like you and me." He said, then whirled around. "If you think I'm cold Mitsuru, it's because I learned from the best."

Moments later, the door opened angrily and slammed shut. She tried her best to ignore stares from other patrons in the restaurant. Tears of humiliation and anger began to well in her eyes.

She waited until she was sure he was gone before collapsing. Not completely, but as much as she would allow. Collapsing was unacceptable to her and it was only allowed it no one else was around. The time nor place was right, but at the moment she didn't care. It was a first.

Once she regained more composure, she tried to calm herself by cupping the mug of coffee in both hands, watching the steam rise and disappear. She hated herself. Hated him. Hated everyone. Why did she always have to act so tough? A faint bell chime caught her attention and her fingers tensed. She quickly tried to blink away the angry tears that were building up behind her eyes. The chair across from her pulled out and someone joined her.

"What did he want?"

"Nothing." She kept her eyes on the mug, afraid that if she looked directly into his eyes she might start crying. From her peripheral vision she could see his gloved hand make it's way across the table and rest on hers.

The mood was heavy. "Want something to eat?" he asked with a weak smile.

She shook her head no. "Sorry, I'm not hungry."

Using his free hand, he brushed aside her bangs and smiled wider. She gripped his hand harder and mumbled something incoherent.

"What's wrong?" he asked politely.

"I never should have broke up with you." she repeated after a moment's hesitation. The confession sent her hand withdrawing, but he caught her just in time.

"No," he said, taking off his gloves and gathering both of her hands into his. She felt so small; so vulnerable. She was better off being this way. "I shouldn't have let you leave."

She let out a shaky laugh, trying to break the tension. "You're still the same."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No." She shook her head in an effort to rid herself of Shinji's voice once and for all.

"Good," he said, then signaled the waitress. "I'll order us something."

"Akihiko," she murmured.

"Hmm?"

"Nothing." She said. "Just Akihiko."

* * *

The day came and it was the cooking contest. Hamuko glanced around the home economics room anxiously. Ten students stood at each kitchen

She looked to her right at Shinji's kitchen and mouthed the words, "Are you ready?"

"Enjoy it while you can," he mouthed back.

"Attention everyone!" The home economics teacher announced. "A three course meal must be completed within the one hour time limit. Participants are required to plate each dish for presentation. If dishes are not properly plated, points will be deducted. The competition begins in three, two, one..."

* * *

In one quick motion Akihiko flicked the doorknob and opened the door. The lights were out. No one was home. Sighing deeply, he stepped out of his shoes and walked into the living room. He took his time walking over towards the couch before letting himself fall into the sofa. He glanced at his watch; only six o'clock.

"The cooking contest." He said, then sighed a second time. He chose not to enter this year. It wasn't that he wasn't sure he'd win, but since that event months ago he found it easier to avoid Hamuko altogether. Now that he was back with Mitsuru, it was strange how he found himself missing her now more than ever.

Unconsciously, he ran his hand against the dark oak coffee-table. When he closed his eyes he could imagine the scene from not too long ago. The scattered magazines and half-empty coffee cups. Hamuko's head leaning against Shinji's shoulder. They looked like a couple, he remembered thinking bitterly. A real one. The lighting seemed different then. It was cold and lonely now, nowhere near as sepia as it was then.

He opened his eyes.

The room seemed a little bit smaller.

He pushed himself off the sofa and strolled into the kitchen. His eyes settled on a hand-written note stuck onto the fridge. His fingers lazily traced the curves of each letter. He was used to seeing cooking notes and recipes scattered around, but this one was different. It was her writing. She came to the dorm wanting to learn how to cook and all he did was make her wait. Maybe if he wasn't late then, she wouldn't be with Shinji now. Feeling angry with himself, he shoved the thought out of his mind just as quickly as it entered. A familiar pang grew in his chest.

Muttering a curse, he raked a hand through his hair. "Damn it..."

He took a steady breath, gathered some ingredients and began to chop.

* * *

Hamuko's breath caught in her chest as she waited the results. The cooking contest had ended and the tasting section was now over. She looked around in her kitchen observing the mess made. This time last year she didn't know if it was possible to finish a three course meal in an hour but now she was more confident than ever.

Shinji used his sleeve to wipe the sweat off his brow. He hated this part of the contest, the judging. Feeling a bit more anxious than he cared to feel, he shoved a hand in his pocket and skimmed the room. His eyes wandered over to Hamuko and whether it was by accident or design, she returned the stare and gave a small wink causing him to break into a smile.

"And without further ado, the winner of the annual cooking contest is...Shinjiro Aragaki!"

A jolt of disappointment shook Hamuko to her core. Sure it was her first time entering, but she did expect to win. Her eyes wandered over to Shinji who made his way to the front of the classroom.

The teacher greeted him with a firm handshake. "Two years in a row. Congratulations! How about a speech?

All eyes switched to Shinji who held his new trophy in one hand. He looked at the crowd of students around and then the teacher.

"Thanks."

Hamuko couldn't help but let out a stifled laugh. What he lacked in people skills he sure made up for with cooking skills.

Half an hour later, they walked down the barren hallway together. "What should I do?" She continued to drone.

Shinji sighed for the umpteenth time. "Forget about it, it was just a stupid bet. It's not like you would've held me to it." Hearing no response, his eyes wandered to hers and found her staring at the ceiling. "Right?"

She looked to the ground instead. "But a deal's a deal."

"For the last time, it doesn't matter."

"I'll feel like a liar for not following through. Well, if there's nothing you can think of I guess I'll see you tomorrow." Reaching her door, she dug through her pocket and fished out the key.

"I guess I'll get going then."

"Have a good night." Before she could unlock the door, Shinji's hand on her shoulder stopped her. She spun around to face him. "W-What's wrong?"

"I did think of something," he said with a smirk. He stepped forward until their bodies were nearly touching. Hamuko could feel the heat from his face as she watched his face. She tingled with the excitement when he lifted his hand to touch her cheek. "Kiss me goodbye."

"Very funny." Hamuko's face instantly went red. Her heart was thudding in a quick, steady rhythm. She could hear it vibrate through her. "That's so inappropriate."

"You couldn't be more wrong," he told her as he lowered his mouth. "It's extremely appropriate." In a light, teasing whisper, his lips met hers. His arms encircled her, bringing her closer with only the slightest pressure. She heard a low moan and pulled back sharply when she realized it came from her.

"Kiss me back," he ordered softly. Then with a menacing tone he added, "That's an order."

She wasn't sure if it was the bet or the look in his eyes, but she found herself tip-toeing into him. He watched as her eyelids fluttered down, signaling her okay. Then he tilted her chin upwards and brought his face closer.

He wasn't sure if he was glad she didn't notice Akihiko standing down the hallway.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** I AM BACK. Not at my prime, but I am back nonetheless! Sorry if this chapter seems forced, please bear with the sloppiness! Every time I sat down to work on it, it felt like pulling teeth. I apologize for the biggest delay in the history of delays! The outline of this chapter has been done for months but I spruced it up in the last two days. Since I've last updated, work has been pretty hectic and now that the local anime convention is over I can finally breathe again. Sadly in a about a month college starts so hopefully I will continue to write in my spare time!

Also, I've taken up working on a Persona 3 Portable Dating Project (Sim) with the talented Rewritten Ennui and XarianHeart! If you'd like to read more into the project, head on over to the Discussion Forums and click on Persona Dating Project!

A big, big, big THANK YOU to all my reviewers, you're what keeps me going! I would love to hear your thoughts about where this is going or what you would like to see happen!


	9. Mix

**Mix (miks)**  
_to combine ingredients by hand or with a mixer with the goal of blending them well and uniformly together_

* * *

Hamuko tried to steady her spinning brain. Shinji's mouth touched hers lightly, and her lips parted. His kisses were soft and gentle, lingering before one ended and another began. Slowly the kisses grew deeper. There was something about Shinji's kiss which made it completely different from Akihiko's. It wasn't a subtle difference, but instead very obvious. The magnitude of chemistry between them changed everything.

When their lips parted, Shinji loosened his hold. "Sorry. I just got caught up in the moment."

She blushed and shook her head slowly. "No...It's okay. I enjoyed it."

He felt the burning in his cheeks spread to his ears, but he did his best to ignore it. Instead, he lifted his hand from her back and ruffled her hair; a small smile covered his lips. "Alright, I gotta head to work. I'll see you tomorrow."

Shinji watched her turn around quickly and fumble with her keys before successfully unlocking the door and stepping inside. When he was certain she was gone—he grinned. He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked down the desolate hallway.

As he passed a narrow intersecting corridor, he said aloud, "See that, Aki?"

* * *

Hamuko's third sigh caught Yukari's attention immediately. Yukari had been trying her best to ignore the noise, but she knew it wouldn't go away that easy. She sat up straight and threw the notebook onto the coffee table between them.

"Out with it." She demanded, her voice full of impatience. "What happened?"

Hamuko pulled her feet onto the sofa and brought her knees to her chest. Yukari leaned in with interest. "Shinji..."

"Shinji?" She asked impatiently.

"Shinji kissed me." Hamuko admitted. Once she said it, the warmth in her cheeks re-emerged and the butterflies in her stomach intensified.

"What? You _kissed_?" Yukari squealed, shifting to the edge of her armchair. "Where, when, how? No, never mind that! First thing is first, on a scale of one to ten how good was it?"

"There is no scale." She answered simply.

Yukari rolled her eyes. "Oh please. I've had my fair share of kisses, but no one is _no scale-worthy_. The no scale is a myth told with Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy. Come on!"

"Yukari," Hamuko started, "the no scale myth is very much true."

"No way..."

* * *

Akihiko waited for Shinji's steps to fade down the hallway before found the courage to keep walking. In his hands was a mid-sized white box wrapped in a red ribbon. He was on his way to her dorm to deliver it, but after seeing that display of affection he had lost his will power. He forced himself to go on and when he reached Hamuko's door, he brought up a fist to knock.

Something stopped him and he couldn't figure out if it was fear or guilt.

What right did he have to prance into her life right now? As far as she was concerned he could drop off the face of the planet and she wouldn't lose a wink of sleep. And what if he did knock on her door? What if she answered? What would he say once she answered? He bit his lip, knowing he couldn't bring himself to see her much less talk to her. Not after that display.

He grasped the edges of the box firmly and set it down, knocked twice and walked the other way.

* * *

Hamuko walked down the hallways of Gekkoukan cheerily, holding two white grocery bags in both hands. She had spoken with Shinji about practicing cooking and was thrilled when he offered to go through the process with her. It had been two weeks since her first kiss with Shinji and everything was going fine. With only the barest effort she could feel the swift excitement of his lips on hers. Finally, there was no drama with Akihiko, no drama with Mitsuru and no unrequited feelings.

She stopped once she read the number eighty-seven. She noticed how the jittery feeling in her stomach resurfaced, but she took a deep breath and knocked twice. The door swung open almost immediately and she was greeted by her boyfriend. He wore a red short sleeved polo shirt and black pants. She immediately recognized the outfit to be some sort of convenience store uniform.

"Sorry, I just got off work." He apologized.

She smiled, a faint trace of blush tinting her cheeks. "Don't be. I like a man in uniform."

He chuckled, then drew his face closer and welcomed her with a long lingering kiss. When they broke away he replied, "That may be so, but it's not too comfortable for cooking. I'll go ahead and change."

After he left to his room she set the bags of groceries down on the counter and began unpacking. She had made the trip to the grocery store prior to going to Shinji's, so she hoped nothing was missing.

"Let's see," she said out loud as she lined up the ingredients one by one on the counter. "I have the butter, onion, rice, white wine, salt, saffron and parmesan cheese."

Shinji returned less than a minute later and she laughed when he had his hair in a small ponytail. "What is this?"

He gave her a questioning stare and pointed to the back of his head. "_This_ is so we don't get any hair in the food."

"You look cute," she said, unable to keep from cracking a smile.

"That's not something a guy wants to hear," he murmured almost incoherently. "Alright, let's get started."

Hamuko nodded and took out a piece of paper from her handbag. "So first, we melt three tablespoons butter in a heavy skillet. When it's bubbling, add the onion. Cook for two to three minutes; don't let the onions brown. Add the rice and stir it well with a spatula; do not allow it to color. Make sure the onion and rice are well coated with the butter. Add the wine, then start to add stock, a cup at a time. Let each cup of stock cook away before adding more. As the rice becomes tender, stir it with a fork to keep it from sticking to the pan. Add salt and a touch of saffron. When the rice is done, stir in the remaining two to three tablespoons of butter and a little grated Parmesan cheese."

Shinji simply nodded his head and followed the directions. They worked together prepping the ingredients and preparing the meal. Once the dish was nearly complete, Hamuko noticed the fatigue on his face.

"Was work tiring?" She inquired. "You look exhausted."

"Do I?" He asked, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, some guy called in sick so I was the only cashier."

"Go take a rest," she said while motioning to the other room. "I'll come get you up when it's done."

"You sure?" He asked a bit apprehensively. His eyes wandered to the hallway where his bedroom was. "Well then, I'll leave the rest to you."

Now alone, Hamuko continued stirring the dish a few more times. Since Shinji was tired from work she didn't want to burden him with the dishes as well, so she turned on the faucet and began washing the dishes. She hummed to herself. This was something she could get used to. Cooking and cleaning for him and being the housewife. Her face immediately flushed at the thought. Once the last bowl was rinsed, she looked at the clock and was surprised to see that ten minutes had already elapsed. She turned back to the stove and stirred it one last time.

"Oh, it looks like it's done." She stated simply before reducing the heat. She set the fork down onto a plate and walked down the hallway. She saw an open door and assumed it was Shinji's room. The first thing she noticed was how clean it was. All his clothes hanging in his closet were color coordinated and even his desk was neatly organized.

She heard President Tanaka talking about a new kind of knife set. She looked to the bed and saw him sleeping, a cell phone grasped in his hand. She smiled and hoped he didn't buy anything he didn't need. After all, his kitchen alone had more appliances than the school's lab.

She walked cautiously to his bedside and sat down on the bed beside him. He looked adorable to say the least. The elastic band in his hair fell out and the way his mouth stayed slightly open made her smile in amusement. She leaned in closer and planted a small kiss on his forehead.

"Come to wake me up?" She heard him ask. Before she could question it, she felt a strong force pull her wrist causing her to tumble onto him. She watched the amusement that reflected in his eyes.

It wasn't until she felt his hand slide down her back when she noticed the proximity of their bodies. Her mind went fuzzy when she saw how her knees locked his legs in place. "Y-You're not asleep."

"Oh? Were you going to take advantage of me?" He chuckled quietly.

Hamuko's face turned red at the comment. "N-No! The risotto is d—"

He shifted his body weight onto one elbow and leaned forward. His mouth took hers quickly, stunningly. He framed her face with his hands, thumbs brushing her cheeks while he took the kiss into trembling intimacy with terrifying speed. The buzz of excitement left her when he ended the kiss and said, "Maybe we should go check it."

She wanted to protest, to kiss him again and swim in the feeling—but she shook her head and crawled off of him. He pushed off of the bed and followed her into the kitchen.

He lifted the lid and peered inside. It certainly looked done, however he knew it wasn't. It had the right color, but the texture was completely wrong.

"Just because it looks like it's done doesn't mean it is." He then took the fork he was using to stir the rice and held it up for her to taste. "Try it."

She opened her mouth somewhat apprehensively and ate it. Her face twisted with thought. "You're right…"

"It's still hard, right?" He said, a statement, not a question. He turned the knob of the stove to medium to let it cook longer. "You have to be careful when you're cooking rice. It takes a while to cook."

An hour passed and the cooking lesson was done. The day had been a complete success. The dish had come out perfectly and nothing went wrong. Hamuko stayed in the kitchen packing the leftovers while Shinji went to wash up and grab a sweater from his room.

"Let me guess, Risi e Bisi." A familiar voice asked. He must have entered the dorm while they were re-cooking the meal. She was so pre-occupied that she didn't even notice his presence.

"No," she replied simply. "It's risotto alla milanese."

Akihiko decided to stand in the doorway. It was too risky being near her, especially with all those knives around. "How did you like the cake?" He asked coolly.

Her shoulders squared. "What cake?"

"The one I left on your doorstep." He replied calmly, then a small laugh escaped him. "And here I thought the card would be a giveaway."

"Why did you give it to me?" She didn't want to ask, but greater than that she didn't want to regret not asking. "

He held his breath for a moment. What did she want him to answer? He settled for the truth. "I didn't know who else to give it to."

"How about Mitsuru?" She replied biting, closing the plastic container with a loud snap. She saw a flash of shock on his face and for some reason felt guilty for being so petty. What's done is done, but as much as she wanted to let go of it—she just couldn't.

Akihiko took a step closer. "Listen, I'm sorry about what I did. I just—"

"Don't," she interrupted. She felt a great sense of gratitude that the word was enough to silence him altogether. "Don't justify yourself. You can't just interrupt my life whenever things are going right. What you do is none of my business. It stopped being my business a long time ago."

Then it dawned on Akihiko how everything changed. He went from the sought-out mentor to the interrupting guest, yet no more than a few months ago it was the other way around. "I don't mean to interrupt—"

"Back off Aki," Shinji's called from behind him. "You're upsetting my girlfriend."

Akihiko faltered for a brief moment, then turned on a heel and left the room passing Shinji on the way out. A moment later they heard the front door open and shut.

The walk back to her dorm was silent.

"So much for our cooking date," Shinji sighed in frustration. "Sorry he ruined it."

She laughed weakly. "Don't apologize. I still had a lot of fun."

When she reached her room, she excused herself politely and went inside. She looked down at the ground where the shoes usually lay. Yukari wasn't home. She supposed she was at Archery club still.

After making her way to her room, she sat at her study desk and pulled open the drawer. In it were a handful of various papers, some pens and one card. She picked it up and studied it. When she first received the cake the idea of Akihiko giving it crossed her mind, but she quickly dismissed it. If anything she came to the conclusion that Ryoji sent it to make up for something stupid he had said. There was no long-winded message or doodle on the piece of paper. Just layers of scribbles and one word.

_Sorry._

* * *

A few days passed. Akihiko lay on his bed lazily, not wanting to move an inch. He didn't attend any of his classes that day let alone leave his room. He didn't want to chance running into Shinji after what happened the other day. Knowing Shinji he'd probably try to beat the crap out of him again.

He flipped open his cell phone and hit the redial button. It rang twice before someone answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey Mitsuru," He started slowly, then took a deep breath and exhaled. "I was wondering if you were bu-"

"I said to order olive oil, not vegetable oil!" She yelled suddenly, and then focused her attention to the phone. "I'm sorry Akihiko, you were saying?"

"Uh...Are you busy today? I was wondering if you wanted to go for dinner. You know, it being my birthday and all."

He didn't like the sigh she emitted. "Oh, that's right...Sorry, I'm terribly busy. Can I take a rain-check? We'll celebrate this upcoming Friday."

He shook his head, cursing his luck. "Yeah, sure thing."

Three hours later he sat at Chagall Cafe alone. Despite wanting to stay in his bedroom all day, he thought spending it would be too depressing, but he was wrong. Nothing he did could escape the feeling of sadness that wallowed in him.

He wanted to scream, punch, and above all else, disembowel. He knew from the beginning it would be like this, but it didn't stop him from acting the way he did. Was he having regrets? Yes, of course. If he didn't pick Mitsuru, he wouldn't be alone right now.

If he didn't pick Mitsuru, then maybe everything would have worked out.

He muttered a curse and took a sip of his Pheromone Coffee.

* * *

Yukari drummed her fingers on the arcade machine impatiently. She had been feeling a bit anxious since second semester midterms were just around the corner and Junpei offered to take her out. Of course, it was to Game Panic and not the Sweets Shop like she wanted.

"Come on, Yuka-tan," he sighed, giving her a quick sideways glance. "Put more quarters in! I need back up!"

"I'm out of quarters." She huffed, rolling her eyes. "I used most of it when we played Dance Dance Riot, remember? We kept failing because you wanted to go on intense instead of ordinary."

"I gotta impress the ladies somehow. Besides, there's a machine over there!" He replied, pointing to the right. The loss of controls caused a missile to hit his fighter plane head-on. "No! I almost beat the high-score!"

Yukari smiled brightly. "Can we go to Chagall Café now?"

Junpei heaved a sigh and nodded his head. "Sure."

* * *

Akihiko leaned his chin into the palm of his hand, drifting in and out of conversation.

"Business has been really hard lately," Mitsuru sighed. "Well, not hard as in difficult, but hard as in time consuming since its booming more than ever. Student Council alone takes up too much of my time and helping out with father just adds to the work-load..."

He watched as Mitsuru curled a strand of hair around her index finger, then released it, then curled it again. She was striking, there was no arguing there. Perfect like some sort of porcelain vase. Never out of place. She always had it together.

"—and did you see Shinjiro's performance today in class? Absolutely awful. Did you hear what the teacher said when he tasted the paella? Abysmal. Can you imagine? He used to be the top of the class! I don't know what's going on with him lately." She moved from her hair to the coffee mug in front of her. She sipped it slowly and then set it down.

"You...still like him, don't you?" He asked, not thinking before he spoke. He didn't want to know her reply. He was afraid of the answer. Always was and always would be.

Mitsuru stared at him hesitantly. "Like him?"

Akihiko realized she didn't agree, but more importantly she didn't disagree.

He closed his eyes to collect his thoughts. When he found the words he wanted to say, he looked at her earnestly. "Mitsuru...I'll never be enough for you, will I?"

She stared at him, stunned by his words. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

He looked down and smiled. "I give up."

"What?"

"I quit, alright?" He rephrased, pushing his chair out and standing up. He shook his head, thinking about how pitiful he had been. Constantly fawning over a girl who could never love him back. "I just quit. It's too hard."

"You knew," she muttered under her breath. Her response caught him by what could only be classified as surprise. "You knew it would be like this—that I could never forget him. You're the one that chose to stay." Something constricted in his chest. The feeling was all too familiar to him.

Heart-ache.

The look of distress she shot him made him want to cave in. He felt his knees buckle and his body fell back down into the soft chair, but he reminded himself it was too late for that. He couldn't stay miserable forever for the sake of her momentary happiness.

"And now I'm choosing to leave."

* * *

About time, huh? I can't believe I'm passed the one year mark for this fanfic. It has been way too long! On a side note, I can't believe it's my birthday in three days! This time last year I was only on chapter 6...My goal before the year ends is to have this completed.

Updates should be more frequent from this point on. Sorry about the lack of updates, guys. School has finally started and it's incredibly intense. Every time I write a new chapter for ALC it's like defeating a boss in some RPG; it just gets harder and harder. (And I'm the type of person that quits at the final boss.)

I think I'm going to need everyone's support in completing this, so please review! "o|¯|_


	10. Fold

Before I begin the latest chapter of A La Carte, I would like to give a thank you to those who reviewed! And also kudos to those that realized the pairing changed from Akihiko to Shinjiro.

Dedicated to Meow Factory and everyone else that takes the time to review!

**_Fold  
_**_to incorporate egg-white foam into egg yolk foam or a flour batter without deflating it so that it retains its full leavening power_

* * *

The last bell of the day sounded and students fled school grounds. Junpei on the other hand, leaned back in his chair and readjusted his baseball cap.

"Christmas time already...It feels like time goes by so fast."

"You can say that again," Yukari agreed, sliding a textbook into her book bag. "Just last week we had second semester finals. Ugh...It's hard to believe I did that poor in Patisserie class."

"But," he interjected, leaning forward causing his chair to _thud_ against the floor, "that's all in the past now. More importantly, we have to start inviting people for the Christmas Eve party!"

"Oh yeah, that's right. I saw you and Ryoji-kun taping signs up all over campus. Exactly what's that about again?"

"Ryoji's parents are outta town so everyone's invited to come over. It's gonna be the party of the year! Do you plan on coming, Yuka-tan?"

"I guess so...I don't have anything else to do this year." She thought aloud.

"Is it cause Hayase-senpai is with his _other_ girlfriend?"

"I told you that in a moment of weakness," she hissed, "You promised to never to breathe a word of it to anyone!"

"And I haven't, I swear!"

As if on cue, Hamuko walked into the classroom breaking the unbearable tension. "You guys heading home?"

"Y-Yep," Junpei said with a nervous laugh. "I think we're gonna hit up Hagakure on the way home, though. I owe Yuka-tan some ramen. Not walking home with Shinjiro-senpai today?"

Hamuko pouted. "Nah, he's got his part-time job tonight."

"He's been working a lot more than usual, isn't he?" Yukari asked.

"Yeah. It sucks, but I can't blame him. He said he's saving up for college."

Junpei watched as her eyes drifted towards the open window before he decided to change the subject. "By the way, Ryoji invited all of us to spend Christmas Eve at his mansion. You wanna come?"

"I saw," she replied turning towards him, "The hallways are plastered with posters. Who's all going?"

"Everyone! Me, Yuka-tan, Fuuka and everyone else we met at that karaoke party. You remember, Minato, Renji and Rio. He said you can bring Shinjiro-senpai too if you'd like."

"You better go," Yukari interrupted, "You can't keep canceling on us forever."

Hamuko had to weigh her options. Shinji had managed to book the holidays off and he promised they would spend the day together. On the other hand, Yukari was right. It seemed her days were split between practicing her skills and spending time with him. Then again, she was sure he'd understand. "Sure. I'll call him later."

"Finally!" Yukari cheered, "Now we have to plan our outfits. We should go shopping!"

The slow grin on Junpei's face caused Yukari to raise an eyebrow. "Why are you so smiley?"

"No real reason. I'm just excited to be spending the holidays with everyone. It was such a drag spending it alone last year."

"That's not it," Hamuko stated slowly, "You have one of those far-away looks. You know…starry-eyed."

"That's not the look of relief. That's the look of…love!" Yukari shouted with feigned disgust.

"Okay, okay, enough with the third degree! I, Junpei Iori, have finally met my soul mate."

"Soul mate?" Yukari deadpanned, "You say that every week."

"I do not! Okay, well…She's not so much soul mate, but the _love of my life_, _wind beneath my wings_, et cetera et cetera."

"Please," Yukari grimaced, "I just ate."

"If you must know, her name is Chidori. He has long red hair and she's amazing and—"

"I know. We know. Everyone at this school knows. You've been gushing about her for a week now."

"Everyone does not know."

Hamuko furrowed her eyebrows. "I'm pretty sure even Fuuka knows. Besides, you can't date someone you go to school with. It's awkward."

"No, it's not. It's _awesome_!"

"Then what happens if you get in a fight? Bam! Everyone knows about it."

"We're not even dating yet! Besides, I don't fight with my girlfriends." Junpei defended.

"Yeah," Yukari chuckled, "They just fight with you."

* * *

Three days quickly passed and the morning of their departure was a bright, sunny one. Hamuko stood beside Yukari, Fuuka and Rio while Junpei was with Ryoji, Minato and Kenji. Although he promised to attend, Shinji, however, wanted to avoid an uncomfortable trip there and insisted on meeting them there.

At first Hamuko thought Junpei was using the term mansion lightly, but upon arriving at the front gates she knew right then and there he wasn't kidding. The driveway was easily the three-times the length of Gekkoukan. Though the house was only two-stories high, it was exquisite. The mansion was made of terracotta bricks giving it an earthy color which complimented the jade green shingles on the roof. She didn't think it was possible, but the inside seemed even bigger than the outside.

It was so out of context, Hamuko noted, like it didn't belong in Iwatodai.

"This place is incredible," Yukari said in awe. "His parents must be loaded."

Despite their thoughts, the inside was even more beautiful than the outside. The walls were an ecru and the floor was a light eggshell, clearly marble. In the grand foyer there were two staircases that left to the second floor. Everything about it was regal.

"Man this place is huge! You should see my dorm. If the fridge is open my room is freezing."

"I'll show everyone to their rooms. The girls will be staying in the east wing and the guys will be staying in the west wing. There's only about thirty guest rooms per wing so I hope there's enough..."

"I'm pretty sure that's more than enough." Yukari shrugged. "Why, how many people were you expecting?"

"You never know. At least half of my class is coming. I guess worst case scenario people could double up."

"So you're expecting more than sixty people? Isn't that a lot?"

"It's a party; you can never have too many people."

Junpei said something along the lines of, "Yeah, dude!" and Hamuko chuckled slightly.

"So Ryoji, your parents how long have your parents been away?" Junpei asked with both elbows on the table.

"About a week now; they leave every so often. Sometimes months at a time."

Hamuko frowned. "It sounds lonely."

"You think so? I never really thought of it that way."

"So how many girls have you had over?" Junpei cut in.

Ryoji smiled. "It's endless, of course."

Yukari rolled her eyes and Hamuko wondered if it was true. He did fit the bill—a rich only child with free time to kill. As far as she knew he didn't take part of any extracurricular clubs or spent his time with a part time job. His life seemed to be pretty care-free.

Hours after unpacking and unwinding, everyone sat in the dining room. The room was filled with old Victorian decor. The high ceiling had a beautiful crown molding that accented its eccentricity. The table they sat at was large; enough to seat the fifty-eight guests that arrived. Why any house needed a table that big was beyond her comprehension. Of course, out of the guests that were there Hamuko only knew a few of them personally. The way Shinji associated with some of them made her assume they were seniors as well.

The food presented was far beyond anyone's expectations. Although it was a buffet instead of a five-course meal, it certainly had more than enough food. The buffet included cold platters, a hot buffet, carvery station and desserts.

"T-This is amazing." Fuuka said in awe.

Ryoji bowed his head slightly. "Only the best for the beautiful."

After gathering their share of food, everyone took a seat at the large table.

"I thought of a game." Hamuko said while picking up her utensils.

"Do tell."

"It's sort of silly, really. You pick someone...then pair them with what food you think they would be. For example, Ryoji would be chocolate mousse."

Yukari shot her a questioning look, which made Hamuko stifle a smile. "Why is that?"

"Cause he's rich and smooth."

"I guess Fuuka would be a coconut." Junpei added in. "Since they grow up high in the trees, hiding away from people."

"Yukari would be Kung Pao chicken since she's got a bit of kick in her." Ryoji winked.

"And Junpei would be a corn dog...cause's he's weird through and through." Yukari teased.

The table broke into several smaller discussions with laughter all about.

Yukari leaned over to whisper into Hamuko's ear. "Mitsuru-senpai would have to be Foie Gras, cause she's so pretentious."

A while later, only the remains of a once grand buffet graced the sterling silver platters. Amongst the cheerful chatter, Hamuko noticed Shinji leave the room and walk out into the courtyard and quickly followed suit. Since they arrived she didn't have much chance to talk to him and she secretly worried that maybe he wasn't enjoying himself.

The air outside was crisp, one of those clean winter nights. It was snowing lightly, the kind of snow that would probably melt the next day and turn into slush. What a shame, she thought. The great things never seemed to last long. She watched as Shinji shoved his hands in his pocket and took a deep breath. He seemed to be so deep in thought. She thought before decided to approach him delicately.

"Thanks for agreeing to come here," she said tightly, "Sorry if this isn't really your style."

Her voice startled him at first, but the small smile on his face said otherwise. "Don't apologize. I'm having a good time."

She took his side. "I'm glad to hear it."

"I was thinking of that game you made."

"What about it?"

"I figure Aki would be Beef Wellington." He said levelly. When she didn't make a sound, he continued, "Everyone thinks it's great, but it's not really all that."

She smiled at his coldness. "You would be oil."

"Just oil? That's not even a dish."

"Okay, since you're going to be all technical...you can be steamed rice."

"This is just getting offensive."

"If you'd listen for a second, you'd know why. It's because...you're a necessity. You know, something I couldn't do without."

The air was quiet and neither said anything. She watched in silence as a white puff of breath ascended into the sky. "There's something I wanted to talk to you about..."

"Lemme guess: it's not you, it's me."

He turned to her in surprise. "What?"

"It's a joke." she said, pulling his hand out of his pocket and sliding it in hers.

His eyes lightened and he murmured, "Oh."

"So what's got you worried?"

The breath he drew caused her laughter to still. "What are your plans after graduation?"

"I haven't really thought about it to be honest."

"Why not?"

"I just figured I'd be where I'd be. I can't really afford to go straight into college so I think I'll just work for a while. Maybe I'll figure it out after that."

Her light and easy tone caused his shoulders to square. "I guess you're right."

"There you two are!" Ryoji called from the balcony door frame. "Let's go! We're all getting ready to start the next game."

"This game is called _Who Did What_; it's a contest to see who had the most embarrassing story."

"What does the winner get?" Shinji asked.

"Humiliation." Hamuko answered.

"To get things started, I'll go first!" Junpei volunteered enthusiastically. A hush fell over the crowd and everyone leaned in to listen. He glanced around ensuring all eyes were on him. "My first crush...was on a nurse." Receiving several _oohs_ and _awws _from the crowd, Junpei scanned around to see who his next victim would be. "Next I'll pick the host of our party—Ryoji."

Ryoji walked to the front of the room with ease. Everyone was set on edge with what the seemingly flawless host would admit to. "Hmm...Well I thought about this for a while and the only thing I could think of was—"

Just then the lights went out and gasps filled the room.

"What the—What's going on?"

"It's a blackout!"

"Maybe Iori did it. I saw him leave the room earlier!" A voice called out.

"I was answering a call!"

"From Chidori, right? Yeah right, Iori!"

"Don't you start with me, Kenji! I'm not the one careless enough to get drunk and throw up clogging a sink!"

Several laughs broke out in the darkness.

"But you are clumsy enough to slip on some of that vomit!"

"Like you're one to talk, Yuka-tan! Seeing a guy who already has a girlfriend!"

"You said you wouldn't tell anyone you assh—!"

Hamuko tried to follow one conversation, but it proved impossible with exposed secrets flying from her left and right. By the time the power came on, no one felt like conversing let alone spending time together.

Hours later into the night Hamuko couldn't sleep. She picked up the watch on her night-stand. It was around midnight. Deciding to get up, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and threw on a sweater. It was lucky Yukari was only across the hall. She knocked three times.

There was no answer. It was strange considering Yukari was an extremely light sleeper; even the slightest noise would wake her.

"I'm coming in." Hamuko warned before opening the door with the flick of her wrist.

She wasn't there.

Hamuko frowned and closed the door. Maybe Yukari had to go to the washroom. Nonetheless, there was no point in waiting for her. She left her room and exactly six minutes later she decided Shinji couldn't sleep either. She only needed to knock twice before the door swung open.

Shinji was wearing the same clothes as earlier, but for some reason she didn't find it strange.

"Can't sleep?" She asked softly.

"Not really." She thought of something to say, but nothing really came to mind. Why did she come? "Do you want to sit?" She looked at the bed. She wanted to stay and relax, but there was no telling what would happen in such closed quarters. It was late. No one would know if she slept over. He sensed her hesitation and understood it. "Let's go for a walk."

Although the mansion was large and beautiful in the daytime, it just seemed creepy and barren at night. The hallway lights were off making it nearly impossible to see five-feet in front of them. There was no particular destination in mind, so they wandered aimlessly.

"Do you hear that?" He asked minutes into the walk.

"Hear what?"

His feet stopped. "It sounds like people talking."

The faint sound of people speaking came from down the hall. They walked closer towards the noise and found everyone sitting in the dining room. The strangest part was that they acted like nothing happened.

Hamuko approached Junpei who was dealing out cards. "What's going on?"

"Well, we all thought about it...And who knows how long it's going to be before we get a chance to hang out like this again. We might as well make use of it, right?"

"So," Yukari added. "Are you in or out?"

Hamuko looked at Shinji sent her a small smile in return. "We're in."

* * *

"It was a lot of fun, but I'm glad to be home." Yukari sighed. A few days passed since the trip was over and it turned out what they say is true: there's no place like home. "I can't believe that Stupei told everyone I was seeing someone."

"I still can't believe you were seeing him in the first place. And, _was seeing someone_? Did you break up with Hayase-senpai?"

"After all that humiliation, I had to. I guess figure I deserve better than that."

"You do." Hamuko said, "Besides, the right guy is out there somewhere." A sudden ringing from her bedroom caused Hamuko to excuse herself and stand up from the sofa. With the phone in her hands she looked at the caller ID and answered. "That was a fast shift. You're off already?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to meet at Paulownia Mall. Around eight?"

She agreed enthusiastically and after bidding adieu, hung up.

A few hours later, she stared in awe at the colorful lights that decorated the mall.

"What did you want to do?" She asked, excitedly. "Oh, I know! How about some karaoke? It's been so long since the last time I went singing and—"

"There's something I need to talk to you about."

"Before you do," She interrupted swiftly, "It's present time!"

He eyed the box she dumped in his hands suspiciously. "You really didn't have to."

"I wanted to. Open it!"

He grabbed the ribbon on the box and gave it a tug. In a fluid motion, the ribbon slipped from his fingertips onto the ground below them. It was a black beanie. The fabric was soft and as his fingers ran over the soft wool marveling at the little intricacies in the fabric, he realized it was her that made it.

"You...made this?"

"Sure did," she smiled. "It took me a while to get it right. You can notice in these spots I had trouble with the stitching, but...I hope you like it."

His eyes widened and his mouth opened to form words. He searched his brain, trying to think of a proper response, but all he could come up with was, "I do. Thank you."

"Now, what did you want to say?"

He gripped the beanie in his hand and shook his head. "Nothing. You want to do karaoke, right?"

* * *

The next day at the cooking club, Fuuka cinched the tie of her apron with a final tug and tossed Hamuko a casual glance. "What did you plan on making today?"

"Actually, it's something I've wanted to try making for a while. Tiramisu."

"Tiramisu...It's an Italian dessert, right? I've seen pictures of it in magazines and cookbooks. It looks awfully tricky to make."

Hamuko studied the ingredients list one more time and smiled at her. "I studied a bunch of recipes so it shouldn't be too bad."

"It's hard to believe the seniors will be graduating in a few months. One more year and we'll be up next."

"Where are you planning on applying after you graduate, Fuuka?"

"Oh, Le Cordon Rouge. My father is a dean there, so I'm expected to go."

Hamuko began to whip the cream. "Really? But that's so far away."

"Not too far, it's only in Tokyo. I heard Aragaki-senpai is enrolled there too."

Her spatula stopped. "What?"

"Didn't you know? I thought he would've told you."

"No. He didn't tell me anything."

"O-Oh. M-Maybe I'm wrong. I just overheard him talking to a teacher." Fuuka stammered.

Hamuko felt her heart drop into her stomach. Shinji was...enrolled in Le Cordon Rouge? Why didn't he tell her? Was that what he tried to tell her all along? If so, why couldn't he bring it up before he even applied? Maybe he wouldn't go. After all, this was Shinji. He was considerate. He wouldn't up and leave without telling her in advance. Maybe he wouldn't go.

Maybe...

* * *

Shinji's hands grasped the piece of paper firmly.

_Accepted._

The word lifted a load off his chest, only to be placed by an even heavier one seconds later. He didn't know what to do. On one hand it was Le Cordon Rouge—the school of his dreams. On the other than it was Hamuko—everything he ever wanted.

The plan was simple. Get into Gekkoukan, graduate with Honors, then get accepted into a post-secondary school with a high reputation. If he went to Le Cordon Rouge and graduated flawlessly, he could work wherever he wanted. He wouldn't have to work his way up the chain or deal with grunt work. He could have it all.

He folded the letter into thirds and tucked it into a nearby drawer. He planned on telling her since he found out, but things weren't going his way. With each passing day he failed to tell her, his anxiety worsened.

It seemed burying his nose into a book didn't relieve the anger he was feeling and he decided nothing would but physical aggression. Where was Akihiko when you needed him? At times like this Akihiko was always more than willing to have a go at an impromptu boxing match. It took Shinji a moment to remember things weren't like they were before. After everything that happened between them, they would probably never be like that again.

A knocking at the door caused his thoughts to scatter. He took a moment to recollect his calm and then made his way to the living room. He raised an eyebrow at what he saw.

"What's this?"

Hamuko raised the white box to his eye-level and replied with, "This is a present for you." She gave him a lee-way of three seconds and when no words came out of his mouth, she dumped the box into his hands and brushed past him and into the dorm.

"Present?"

"A goodbye present."

He felt his stomach begin to knot. "How did you find out?"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Shinji motioned Hamuko towards the sofas, but she shook her head, no, choosing to stand. Stubborn as ever, Shinji thought. And tough. Tougher than he was. She'd be just fine. He sank into his seat, heard the squish of leather as he tried to find a comfortable position. Maybe she didn't need to sit down, but he sure did. "I tried telling you. I tried telling you a thousand times, but things kept getting in the way."

"Don't give me clichés. You've plenty of opportunities."

"What are you getting so upset about? We never talked about what would happen with us after graduation." Her silence started to frighten him. "It's more than that, Hamuko. I've been saving up since I was old enough to start working. It's Le Cordon Rouge. You know what it's like...people would kill to get in there."

He watched her body fall into the wall, as if she were using it for support. Was she going to faint? "Okay." She told him simply. No, "I understand". No, "It's for the best".

The air stilled and for a moment she didn't know what to say. He was right, she knew that much. What was wrong with her? Just months ago she spent all her time just wishing someone would love her back and now that she had it she ran the other way.

He looked toward the window, not sure how to respond. What was happening? Even Hamuko's outburst had been somewhat expected. But not this. Even in the light he could see the anger had left her eyes. It's sudden departure had softened her stance, released the tight arch of her shoulders. She looked smaller, more achingly vulnerable than at any time he could remember and it killed him.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly.

She didn't reply. For once he couldn't read his expression. Was it anger, or just plain sadness? He didn't know. He didn't know _anything_.

The thought caused his chest to ache and he wanted desperately to make things right. But nothing could make things right. He couldn't say _'sorry'_ and everything would magically be all right, but he couldn't pass up the opportunity to study abroad. He decided to do the only thing he could do.

The sound of his shuffled steps echoed in his ears as he approached her. She still refused to look at him and focused her attention on a nearby lamp. Perhaps it was because she knew the second she gave in and looked into his eyes everything would blow over and cease to exist. She didn't want to look at him just yet, but when his hand brushed against hers, hers eyes wandered to him involuntarily. They traveled up his chest, to his neck, to his lips then his eyes.

"Do you want to break up?"

The two words triggered something in her and even though tears began to fall from her eyes, she knew her answer.

"No." She whispered. Her fingers clung onto his shirt and she wanted desperately to melt into him. "I want to be with you."

Shinji's chest tightened and he kissed the top of her head. One by one he caught the tears that escaped her eyes. She suddenly seemed so delicate. So vulnerable when she trembled. When he was sure she was feeling slightly better, he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her.

It was now or never; and never was never good enough.

He carried into the bedroom and laid her on the pillows. He took her, dreaming, into the kiss. He gave her more than he'd thought he had left in him. Found more in her open response than he'd believed possible. When she trembled, it wasn't triumph he felt but tenderness.

"I'll stop if you want me to," he said with a low growl. "But...fuck, don't tell me to stop."

He gauged her reaction silently, waiting with baited breath when she said nothing. Then, her hands slipped under his shirt and raised it above his head. Gently, he slipped her uniform off, the glide of his hands sending shivers along her skin and shimmering warmth beneath it. Through fazed eyes she watched as he drew back, as his gaze followed the lazy trail of a single fingertip over her body.

Her breath caught, then he lowered his head and let his mouth follow the path his fingertips had blazed.

Now she was drowning, slowly floating beneath the surface of a warm dark sea. Helpless there, drifting with only his hands and lips to anchor her. And that first wave came in a long, liquid crest that washed through her system to leave it weak and heavy with pleasure.

He wanted to have her steep in it, sate her with it. No sharp flash this time but a slow burn. He explored and exploited every inch of her, lingering when her breath quickened, savoring when her body arched on each steadily building delight.

And his blood swam with it; his heart jolted until he was as lost and open as she.

He murmured her name as he slipped into her, moaned it as she wrapped around him in welcome.

With long, deep thrusts, he moved in her while their mouths met in a soft and stirring kiss. In a slow, sleek rhythm, she moved under him while their hands met to complete yet another link.

They swallowed each other's sighs, gripped each other's hands as they let themselves shatter.

* * *

Hamuko stirred. Her eyes fluttered open and slowly adjusted to an empty spot beside her.

"Shinji?" A wave of relief washed over her when she heard him come back into the room. "Where'd you go?"

"Sorry, I went to get some coffee." He took a seat on the bed and handed her a mug of coffee. She accepted it with a smile.

"Thank you." She noticed the way he fidgeted with his hand and peered behind his back. "What's that?"

"I was going to save this for another time, but...here."

She set the mug down onto a nearby table and took the small black box. With the catch of her breath she flicked the lid open and she gazed upon a beautiful pair of earrings. The earrings were silver moon crescent embellished with small stars.

Now color began to surge in her cheeks, and her mind was a jumble of words that would not come to order. "It's beautiful."

"I'm glad you like it."

She placed the box onto the night-table and waited for him to ease onto the bed beside her. The room seemed a lot bigger than it was before. "What do we do now?"

He raised a hand to her head and eased her head onto his chest.

"Enjoy it."

* * *

Hall of of fame time (aka those that took the time to review): Luhilia, jichulets, Anon, SheriMeister, Pathetic Apathy, fraulein renoh, Cielle's Amour, A Broken Heroine, Anon, tsuki-no-usagi-kaguya-hime, WinglessHawk, I'm Doxophobic, Doctor It, smileintothechaos, Baka Penguin, Oddittie and Sapphire134.

All of your feedback will be taken in account (and especially portrayed in future chapters).

GUYS, GUYS, I FINALLY UPDATED!

Please review! I'm starting to get discouraged with working on this, so anything will help!


	11. Separate

**Separate  
**_to remove from a mixture or combination; isolate_

* * *

Three days passed and Hamuko and Yukari sat in their living room, enjoying a rather calm Monday evening. Yukari glimpsed at her cell phone for what Hamuko noticed, was the fifth time in ten minutes. 4:03PM and still nothing; he wasn't making this easy, was he?

"Still nothing?" Hamuko asked, unable to watch the painful sight any longer.

She gripped the cell phone tighter and turned to Hamuko, who sat on the adjacent sofa. "No...Maybe I don't have any reception in here or something," she mumbled while lifting the case off the battery. "I'll reset it just in case."

"I'm sure Minato will call," Hamuko said, sending a small smile. "You gotta give it some time. He might busy with other things like work, or school. You know finals are coming up so he could be cramming for that."

"It's already been three days," Yukari exclaimed, letting her phone fall onto the sofa in frustration. "I hate it when guys do that thing where they wait a few days before calling. Why do they have to play hard to get? It's not like it makes us like them more; if anything it's the opposite! Why can't they just call right away? Why don't they just tell if you if they like you? What's so hard about that?" When she didn't hear anything in reply, she leaned up and looked in Hamuko's direction. "How are you holding up, still fine?"

Hamuko sat up and pulled a nearby cushion onto her lap. Her expression wasn't of sadness and even though a smile played on her lips, it didn't reach her eyes. "What else can I be?"

Yukari leaned back into the sofa, suddenly feeling over-dramatic. Her situation was nothing compared to Hamuko's. It was like comparing lemons and limes. "You're handling it a lot better than I would be. I don't know what I would do if I was in your situation. I'd be in a mental institution or something."

"I can't be upset about it," she said with a forgiving smile. "I would do it too if I had the chance."

Yukari didn't know how to respond. While Shinji was too ambitious for his own good, she knew the same could be said about Hamuko. "I guess."

The truth was Hamuko fought with the idea at first. She didn't want Shinji to leave, who would be okay with their boyfriend leaving the country for a few months? It was a classic battle of head versus heart and once the pros and cons had been weighed, the head won in the end. Le Cordon Rouge was the most prestigious school in the world, there was no denying that. She would be supportive of his decision and do what she could to help him out. Whether it included giving him time to himself, or smile and say she was all right with it.

_Cause I've been trying way too long_  
_ To try and be the perfect song_  
_ When our hearts are heavy burdens_  
_ We shouldn't have to bear alone_

"Oh my God, it's him!" Yukari squeaked. In a sudden movement, she flipped open her phone and held it to her ear. "Hey! Uh...I mean, hi. Huh? A date? Yeah, I guess that's okay. When? You're outside right now? Y-Yeah, right now is fine. I'll be down in a few minutes!" Within a split second, she ended the call and sat up. "I gotta get ready!"

Smiling to herself, Hamuko leaned deeper into the couch cushion. "Be careful what you wish for."

* * *

Junpei rested his hands on the metal railing in front of him and grinned. Class ended early for the day, the weather was nice and he was on a date with a beautiful girl. It was a great day to be alive.

"Are you having fun?' He asked, turning to his right.

A red-headed girl tilted her head to one side and studied the penguins carefully. They were strange to say the least, waddling back and forth. Was that all they ever did? "I'm not sure if I would classify it as fun. It's..._different_."

"Different?" He sighed, "Come on, the zoo is a great place. You need to take a break from working on that portfolio and get some air. Besides, it's finally spring!"

While she didn't particularly agree with the topic at hand, it did make her feel happier that he was trying to relieve her stress. "Sorry, do you mind if we take a break? I'm a little tired from all that walking."

"O-Oh, sure. Sorry." Junpei nodded his head and took a seat beside her on a nearby bench. Despite what the weather channel said, the skies were starting to darken. So much for the perfect date, he grumbled incoherently. "Didn't your other boyfriends take you out? You know, a picnic, the zoo, a beach? The mall?"

She recoiled a bit, which of course didn't go unnoticed by Junpei. "I've...never had other boyfriends. You're my...first." Eliciting a surprised look from him, she cleared her throat. Was she abnormal? Did every other girl experience dates and romance? Her hands grasped her skirt to the point where her knuckles turned white. "Junpei, I've always wanted to ask...Why me? It's just that, I'm not like everyone else—"

"It's because you're not like everyone else..." He interrupted without hesitation. She turned to him and his warm smile greeted her. "And I could ask you the same thing: why me?"

It took her a moment to think about that question. Why was it him? She never cared for anyone, let alone boys, yet she was enjoying spending her time with him. What made him different from everyone else? She fiddled with the strands of her hair. "Well...you're caring and kind...and lots of fun...and I like myself more when I'm with you."

He turned to her, eyes shining and used all his courage to draw his hand from his side and place it over hers. "I feel the same way."

"I'm glad." She flushed.

"Damn," he blushed, "I wanted to take it slow, but...do you mind if I kiss you?" Her silence made his heat stop beating altogether, but he somehow found the courage to lean in. He paused before touching his lips to hers so they were only a breath away. Her smell was intoxicating; like the bloom of a budding flower. The second their lips touched, he knew he could never compare her to anyone else. She was perfect in every way and even though raindrops continued to fall, he didn't notice until she broke away for air. "Crap, it's starting to rain! We'd better go—"

A tug on his sleeve sent him peering down at her. Her eyes stayed on his steadily and as their faces drew closer his heart started racing. It was amazing how she always did that to him whether it was a brief glance, a small smile, or a soul-shattering kiss.

Junpei, who chased skirts and never believed in something as outlandish as _soul mates_ finally found someone. After years of dates and one-sided feelings, y found her.

Chidori.

* * *

Hagakure sure was quiet for a Tuesday afternoon. With the deluxe bowl being the daily special, he expected Hagakure to be a lot busier. On the other hand, it was raining. The sparse clouds from earlier in the day rolled in quickly, leaving little to no time to find shelter.

Akihiko sat there quietly, listening to the pitter-patter of raindrops of the roof. The unforeseen rain hadn't hindered his plans for the day; he didn't have any after all, so it was no bother to him. It merely reflected the way he felt.

There was no Hamuko to worry about; no Mitsuru. Things were a lot less stressful, but boy were they dull. At the mere age of seventeen, he managed to feel like a widowed old man. He knew what it felt like to be in love, but now it was gone. And he was alone. Maybe it wasn't so much that life was now dull, but more so that he was just lonely.

A subtle chime of the front door caught his attention his shoulders squared instinctively.

Was it her?

The thud of his heart slammed against his chest and although he was nervous, he managed to shift his eyes towards the front door. He wasn't excited or hopeful; he was afraid that if he made eye contact with her he would turn to stone. No, it wasn't her. It was just a group of students from the neighboring high school taking refuge in the shop. Why did he think it could have been her?

Suddenly his thoughts were all about timing. The right place, the wrong time; the right thing to say, the wrong time to say it. What importance did timing play in his life? Why did everything have to fall apart once she came to Gekkoukan? What happened if she came a few months later, or months earlier? Would things be completely different now? Would he still be alone?

Akihiko closed his eyes only for a moment and when they opened, somehow his phone found a way into his hand. Despite his better judgement, he began scrolling through the messages. Just months ago they were together. Where did he go wrong? He read the messages quickly, but carefully. There were text messages with _good mornings_ and _good nights_. There were countless happy faces, hearts and emoticons.

They were so damned _happy_. What the hell happened? Where did he go wrong? Why didn't he just try harder?

He shook his head and placed the phone securely in his pocket. No, he couldn't let those thoughts consume all his time. It was the last few months of senior year. Now was the time to focus. It was all of nothing.

It took a moment for him to realize there was no point in pondering the could-have-beens. He had already been there, done that and nothing good came of it. Out of the continuous train-wreck of thoughts, he just came out feeling even more alone and depressed. Even if the circumstances had been different, he would probably still be alone. Maybe he would always be alone.

He shook his head and set his chop sticks down.

* * *

"Yes, I'd like to confirm the order for two-hundred. When can I expect it to arrive? Next Friday? No, better make it Monday. Yes, express. That's fine. You know where to charge it. Thank you."

Mitsuru tucked a strand of curls behind her ear. Work was finally done for the day and although she should have been happy, she wasn't. Work, at the very least, managed to keep her busy throughout the day. Without the constant overseeing of things she felt powerless.

The sound of her heels against the marble tiles soothed Mitsuru. It was like a song; a melody of triumph. She felt at ease and above all else—formidable. Sure things with Shinjiro were over and Akihiko was gone, but from it she learned an important lesson: As much pain as you're in, the world doesn't stop.

When he left she went through all the steps: denial, anger, sadness, bargaining and acceptance. She was so sure he would come back to her—just like he had so many times before. When he didn't call a few hours later she shrugged it off. He would call tomorrow—he'll come back. But when he didn't call the next day, or the day after that she knew it over. He was serious.

She took advantage of him to make Shinjiro want her back. She used him so Hamuko would want Akihiko back and in turn end her relationship with Shinjiro.

Things didn't turn out quite like she was expecting it to and now she was alone.

"No need to go to London, huh?" Her perfectly manicured hand gripped her cell phone and she punched in a number. "It's me. I need you to look into something. I want a check on Shinjiro Aragaki. Le Cordon Rouge. Find out which campus he is enrolled at. No, that's all."

* * *

"Hey, stranger," Hamuko grinned, after opening her front door. "How was work?"

"Work is...well, work. Ringing up items, bagging them...You know, as good as it gets." Shinji said with a sardonic smile. "But never mind that." He bent down for a small kiss. "How was your day?"

"You know the usual," Hamuko hummed, "baked and decorated thirty cakes. Come on in."

"Thirty?" He asked as he followed her into the kitchen.

"Mini cakes. Well, technically spiral cakes. They're bigger than cupcakes, but smaller than actual cakes." She laughed. "Don't worry, I haven't gone insane."

"So you say." He teased, "What was it for exactly?"

"A fundraiser for a new oven." She said, trying to suppress a giggle. "During practice yesterday, Junpei caused one of them to burst out in this amazing display of flames. I've never seen anything like it."

"He's certainly talented, that one." He said with a hint of amusement. "That sounds noble of you."

"It's the least I could do. Besides, it was tons of fun. Yukari and Fuuka gave a helping hand in it."

"I'm glad. What did you prepare for dinner?"

"Take a seat and I'll serve it."

Shinji complied and took a seat at the small dining table. This was always his favorite part of their dinners together. Not the cooking, or even the food itself—as good as it was. It was the way she scurried away to get the new dish she created. He could see the excitement in her eyes and feel her excitement. He let himself become engrossed in the moment as she finished plating his meal and came back, holding it above his head.

"Okay, close your eyes." She sang. He obliged. The aroma wafting from the kitchen was a dead giveaway. He knew what it was. He did his best to remain nonchalant. He heard the light tap on the table in front of him and opened his eyes. "Tadaa! The one, the only...Penne all'Arrabiata!"

Even though he knew it was coming, Shinji was at a loss for words. He wanted to laugh, but the laughter died. The only words that came out were, "You're too much."

Sensing what could have been a faux pas, Hamuko took a seat at the table with him and laughed for him. "Take a bite." He complied. She watched him take a few more bites before joining him.

"So..."

"So?"

She looked down at the knotted fingers in her lap. "There are only a few more weeks before you leave for Le Cordon Rouge."

"Hamuko," he warned.

"Are you excited?"

He stayed very still, waiting for her reaction. The topic was always a sensitive one between them and he was scared at what she would say. Or what she could say.

Shinji contemplated telling her how much he was looking forward to it, and how much he would miss her. He wanted to tell her part of him didn't want to go, but he knew it would cost too much. "Yeah."

She stared at him silently and watched the way his hand clasped the other. "I'm excited for you."

* * *

March 5th was blessed with beautiful spring weather. The sky a bright azure blue and only a hint of clouds streaked the sky.

"And now, I'd like to call our senior year Valedictorian: Shinjiro Aragaki."

A hush fell over the auditorium full of students and everyone waited with baited breath for the school idol's speech. Hamuko looked on with admiration. There he was; her boyfriend. Perfect grades, perfect attendance, school valedictorian, accepted into Le Cordon Rouge.

"It's been quite the experience attending this school." He started in a low voice. Everyone watched quietly as he paused to continue his speech. Hamuko watched as his eyes scanned the sea of faces and stopped once his eyes met hers. "Thank you for everything."

A long period of silence stretched on before hushed voices went off. "That's it?" A classmate murmured.

She was the first to clap, followed by a few underclassmen she instantly recognized from the Aragaki-senpai fanclub.

The formal part of the ceremony didn't last as long as she thought it would. Sure she had attended graduation ceremonies before, but this one seemed to go by faster. She sat under a cherry tree, watching him from afar. There he was, tall and proud humbly thanking teachers followed by the student council for their hard work. Each teacher congratulated him with a firm handshake; the student body simply bowed their heads in respect.

Feeling a bit exhausted, Hamuko decided to give him some time. It was his graduation ceremony anyway. She lifted herself from the brick tree ring she sat on and walked into the school and up the staircase. Thankfully the rooftop was deserted. She decided to sprawl out on a nearby concrete bench.

"He's really leaving."

The sun's bright rays made her squint her eyes in defense.

"Here you are. I was looking for you."

She tilted her head upwards to see Shinji standing over her. His blazer was wide open; a clear sign he had been attacked. Her only reply was a smile. "Nice shirt."

"Luckily I anticipated this." He grunted. "I put on the nicest shirt I have. And when I say nicest, I mean the closest shirt I could reach when I rolled out of bed this morning."

She got up and moved over to make room for him. "They took all of them, huh?" She asked, reaching in to inspect his torn blazer.

"All but one." He held out his hand and caught hers before placing a small object on the palm of her hand.

She paused and then opened her palm slowly; a single button off his blazer. She instantly knew it was the second button.

"You're sweet."

"As sweet as apple pie?"

"As sweet as a pea."

"That doesn't make any sense."

* * *

It was bright and sunny the day he left. Not dark and gloomy like she wished it would be. Not at all rainy and cold, but warm and balmy.

How unfitting, she thought.

"Well," Shinji said after throwing the last bag into the taxi trunk, "that's everything."

"Not quite," she replied, causing him to turn to her. In a swift movement, she raised onto her tiptoes and kissed him.

"Sorry. I almost forgot." In a swift movement he tipped her chin forward and placed a gentle hand on the back of her head. His lips captured hers and when they broke away a slight flush crept onto his cheeks. "Are you sure you don't want to come to the airport?"

"Yes." She answered simply. "I would probably get all emotional and beg you to stay."

"It would probably work, too."

She felt the familiar sting behind her eyes and knew the countdown had begun. Don't cry, she told herself. Don't cry.

He watched her, waiting for the first tear to fall. When it didn't, he brought a hand to her head and smoothed her hair. He forgot how strong she actually was. "Au revoir."

"No," she interrupted with a forced laugh. "I'll see you later."

He nodded once slowly and she felt paralyzed as he turned on his heel and got in the taxi. Everything seemed to slow as the vehicle pulled away from the curve, down the street, and out of sight.


End file.
